Although the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown, a number of new findings suggest that the immune system may play a critical role in the early stages of the disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified a wide array of risk-associated genes for AD, many of which are associated with abnormal functioning of immune cells. Microglia are the brain's immune cells. They play an important role in maintaining the brain's extracellular environment, including clearance of aggregated proteins such as amyloid-β (Aβ). Recent studies suggest that microglia play a more active role in the brain than initially considered. Specifically, microglia provide trophic support to neurons and also regulate synapses. Microglial regulation of neuronal activity may have important consequences for AD. In this article we review the function of microglia in AD and examine the possible relationship between microglial dysfunction and network abnormalities, which occur very early in disease pathogenesis.
Funding
Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd
History
Publication title
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Volume
51
Pagination
657-669
ISSN
1387-2877
Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Publisher
IOS Press
Place of publication
Netherlands
Rights statement
Copyright 2016 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved This article is published online with Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License.