Breaking the glial loop: astrocytic PAD2 and citrullinated vimentin drive microglial dysfunction in Alzheimer's

Jeff Y L Lam1, Guojun Bu2

  • 1Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.

Insights

Astrocytes influence Alzheimer's disease by activating microglia through PAD2-mediated vimentin citrullination. This inflammatory pathway impairs amyloid clearance, offering new therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid plaques and neuroinflammation.
  • Glial cells, including astrocytes and microglia, play critical roles in AD pathogenesis.
  • Dysfunctional glial crosstalk contributes to disease progression.

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