MicroRNA-146a switches microglial phenotypes to resist the pathological processes and cognitive degradation of Alzheimer's disease
In this study, we discovered that microglia-specific miR-146a overexpression reduced cognitive deficits in learning and memory, attenuated neuroinflammation, reduced Aβ levels, ameliorated plaque-associated neuritic pathology, and prevented neuronal loss in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. In addition, we found that miR-146a switched the microglial phenotype, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced phagocytic function to protect neurons in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, transcriptional analysis confirmed that miR-146a opposed the pathological process of AD mainly through neuroinflammation-related pathways. In summary, our results provide sufficient evidence for the mechanism by which miR-146a opposes AD and strengthen the conclusion that miR-146a is a promising target for AD and other microglia-related diseases.
Source: Theranostics - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Chunmei Liang, Ting Zou, Miaoping Zhang, Weihao Fan, Tianzhen Zhang, Yuling Jiang, Yujie Cai, Feng Chen, Xiongjin Chen, Yuanhong Sun, Bin Zhao, Yan Wang, Lili Cui Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
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