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TREM2 triggers microglial density and age-related neuronal loss
Linnartz-Gerlach B, Bodea LG, Klaus C, Ginolhac A, Halder R, Sinkkonen L, Walter J, Colonna M et al.. Glia, 2018-12-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The microglial triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) signals via the activatory membrane adaptor molecule TYROBP. Genetic variants or mutations of TREM2 or TYROBP have been linked to inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. The typical aging process goes along with microglial changes and mild neuronal loss, but the exact contribution of TREM2 is still unclear.
Key findings
- Genetic variants or mutations of TREM2 or TYROBP have been linked to inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging.
- The typical aging process goes along with microglial changes and mild neuronal loss, but the exact contribution of TREM2 is still unclear.
- Aged TREM2 knock-out mice showed decreased age-related neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and the hippocampus.
- Transcriptomic analysis of the brains of 24 months old TREM2 knock-out mice revealed 211 differentially expressed genes mostly downregulated and associated with complement activation and oxidative stress response pathways.
Why it matters
In aged mice bred without the immune gene TREM2, the study found "decreased age-related neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and the hippocampus", and 211 genes with changed activity, "mostly downregulated and associated with complement activation and oxidative stress response pathways." This suggests TREM2 activity in the brain's immune cells may contribute to the mild neuron loss of normal aging. These are mouse findings about normal aging, not Alzheimer's disease, and do not show a treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Glia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Glia: journal h-index 233 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 108 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.0 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 34 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Harald Neumann: h-index 73 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30548312) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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.
APA 7th
Linnartz-Gerlach, B., Bodea, L. G., Klaus, C., Ginolhac, A., Halder, R., Sinkkonen, L., et al. (2019). TREM2 triggers microglial density and age-related neuronal loss. Glia. https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.23563
Vancouver
Linnartz-Gerlach B, Bodea LG, Klaus C, Ginolhac A, Halder R, Sinkkonen L, et al. TREM2 triggers microglial density and age-related neuronal loss. Glia. 2019. doi:10.1002/glia.23563. PMID: 30548312.
BibTeX
@article{linnartzgerlach2019-30548312,
author = {Linnartz-Gerlach, B. and Bodea, L. G. and Klaus, C. and Ginolhac, A. and Halder, R. and Sinkkonen, L. and Walter, J. and Colonna, M. and others},
title = {{TREM2 triggers microglial density and age-related neuronal loss}},
journal = {Glia},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1002/glia.23563},
pmid = {30548312},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.23563}
}
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