Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
TREM2 promotes lung fibrosis via controlling alveolar macrophage survival and pro-fibrotic activity
Cui H, Banerjee S, Xie N, Hussain M, Jaiswal A, Liu H, Kulkarni T, Antony VB et al.. Nature communications, 2025-02-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Lung macrophages play a pivotal role in pulmonary fibrosis, with monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages driving disease progression. However, the mechanisms regulating their pro-fibrotic behavior and survival remain unclear, and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking. Here we show that triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 are predominantly expressed on monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages in fibrotic mouse lungs and are significantly elevated in lung macrophages from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cui, H., Banerjee, S., Xie, N., Hussain, M., Jaiswal, A., Liu, H., et al. (2025). TREM2 promotes lung fibrosis via controlling alveolar macrophage survival and pro-fibrotic activity. Nature communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57024-0
Vancouver
Cui H, Banerjee S, Xie N, Hussain M, Jaiswal A, Liu H, et al. TREM2 promotes lung fibrosis via controlling alveolar macrophage survival and pro-fibrotic activity. Nature communications. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57024-0. PMID: 39971937.
BibTeX
@article{cui2025-39971937,
author = {Cui, H. and Banerjee, S. and Xie, N. and Hussain, M. and Jaiswal, A. and Liu, H. and Kulkarni, T. and Antony, V. B. and others},
title = {{TREM2 promotes lung fibrosis via controlling alveolar macrophage survival and pro-fibrotic activity}},
journal = {Nature communications},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-025-57024-0},
pmid = {39971937},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57024-0}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- However, the mechanisms regulating their pro-fibrotic behavior and survival remain unclear, and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking.
- Here we show that triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 are predominantly expressed on monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages in fibrotic mouse lungs and are significantly elevated in lung macrophages from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- Deletion or knockdown of this receptor disrupts intracellular survival signaling, promotes macrophage apoptosis, and attenuates their pro-fibrotic phenotype.
- We further demonstrate that a lipid mediator and a high-avidity ligand of this receptor, encountered by macrophages in the alveolar milieu, enhance macrophage survival and activity.
Why it matters
This study found TREM2 is elevated on lung macrophages in fibrosis and that deleting or knocking down the receptor disrupted their survival signaling. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 52 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 54 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature communications) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Communications: journal h-index 747 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 71 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 43.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 71 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Gang Liu holds only 3 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39971937) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 52 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 52 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 54 out of 100. |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57024-0
- PubMed: 39971937
- Original source →
- Free full text: Nature Communications →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 18.
Related studies in TREM2 and immune genetics
Also tagged “r47h”
363 studies in the library carry the topic tag “r47h”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 363 tagged studies.