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© 2024, Vicario, Fragkogianni et al This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Somatic genetic heterogeneity resulting from post-zygotic DNA mutations is widespread in human tissues and can cause diseases, however, few studies have investigated its role in neurodegenerative processes such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we report the selective enrichment of microglia clones carrying pathogenic variants, that are not present in neuronal, glia/stromal cells, or blood, from patients with AD in comparison to age-matched controls. Notably, microglia-specific AD-associated variants preferentially target the MAPK pathway, including recurrent CBL ring-domain mutations. These variants activate ERK and drive a microglia transcriptional program characterized by a strong neuro-inflammatory response, both in vitro and in patients. Although the natural history of AD-associated microglial clones is difficult to establish in humans, microglial expression of a MAPK pathway activating variant was previously shown to cause neurodegeneration in mice, suggesting that AD-associated neuroinflammatory microglial clones may contribute to the neurodegenerative process in patients.

Alternate abstract:

eLife digest

Around 10% of people aged over 65 are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive neurodegenerative condition leads to death of brain cells, memory loss, confusion and other life-altering symptoms.

Somatic mutations are changes in the genetic information of a cell other than sperm or eggs, which can result in alterations in gene function. As the mutant cells multiply, they form clones that also carry these changes – potentially resulting in groups of cells that behave differently from those in which those mutations are absent. Despite their importance, the role of somatic mutations in Alzheimer’s disease remains poorly understood.

To investigate this question, Vicario, Fragkogianni, Weber, Lazarov et al. examined the genetic material of brain and blood cells obtained from individuals who had died either of Alzheimer’s disease, or of other causes. The team focused their analysis on around 700 genes previously associated with neurodegenerative conditions. The results showed that, compared to individuals whose death was not due to neurological illnesses, harmful variants of those genes were present in higher numbers in the microglia cells of around 25% of Alzheimer’s patients in their series. No such increase was detected in other blood or brain cell populations, regardless of the individuals’ cause of death.

Microglia are cells tasked with helping to repair damage and fight off infections in the brain. Many of the harmful gene variants found in this population switched on a cell pathway known as the MAP Kinase pathway, which activated the cells and caused them to multiply. This, in turn, led to inflammation and may contribute to the death of neurons.

Together these findings indicate that developing a new class of therapeutics that inhibits the MAP Kinase pathway in microglia may help prevent irreversible brain damage in some patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Details

Title
A microglia clonal inflammatory disorder in Alzheimer’s disease
Author
Vicario Rocio 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fragkogianni Stamatina 1 ; Weber, Leslie 1 ; Lazarov Tomi 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hu, Yang 2 ; Hayashi, Samantha Y 3 ; Craddock, Barbara 3 ; Socci, Nicholas D 4 ; Alberdi Araitz 1 ; Baako, Ann 1 ; Ay Oyku 1 ; Ogishi Masato 5 ; Lopez-Rodrigo, Estibaliz 1 ; Kappagantula Rajya 6 ; Viale Agnes 4 ; Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A 7 ; Zhou, Ting 8 ; Ransohoff, Richard M 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Chesworth, Richard 9 ; Abdel-Wahab, Omar 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Boisson Bertrand 5 ; Elemento Olivier 2 ; Jean-Laurent, Casanova 5 ; Todd, Miller W 3 ; Geissmann Frédéric 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 https://ror.org/02yrq0923 Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/02r109517 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/05qghxh33 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook New York United States 
 https://ror.org/02yrq0923 Marie-Josée & Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/0420db125 St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/02yrq0923 Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/02yrq0923 Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States, https://ror.org/02yrq0923 Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States 
 https://ror.org/02yrq0923 SKI Stem Cell Research Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York New York United States 
 Third Rock Ventures Boston United States 
University/institution
U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd.
e-ISSN
2050084X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3204258270
Copyright
© 2024, Vicario, Fragkogianni et al This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.