期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:2006
卷号:103
期号:31
页码:11784-11789
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0604681103
语种:English
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by plaque formation, neuronal loss, and cognitive decline. The functions of the local and systemic immune response in this disease are still controversial. Using AD double-transgenic (APP/PS1) mice, we show that a T cell-based vaccination with glatiramer acetate, given according to a specific regimen, resulted in decreased plaque formation and induction of neurogenesis. It also reduced cognitive decline, assessed by performance in a Morris water maze. The vaccination apparently exerted its effect by causing a phenotype switch in brain microglia to dendritic-like (CD11c) cells producing insulin-like growth factor 1. In vitro findings showed that microglia activated by aggregated [beta]-amyloid, and characterized as CD11b+/CD11c-/MHC class II-/TNF-{alpha}+ cells, impeded neurogenesis from adult neural stem/progenitor cells, whereas CD11b+/CD11c+/MHC class II+/TNF-{alpha}- microglia, a phenotype induced by IL-4, counteracted the adverse [beta]-amyloid-induced effect. These results suggest that dendritic-like microglia, by facilitating the necessary adjustment, might contribute significantly to the brain's resistance to AD and argue against the use of antiinflammatory drugs.