Last reviewed: June 1, 2026
2016Science
Complement and microglia mediate early synapse loss in Alzheimer mouse models
Hong S, Beja-Glasser VF, Nfonoyim BM, Frouin A, Li S, Ramakrishnan S, et al.
Abstract summary
Demonstrated that C1q and C3 tag synapses for microglial elimination in early Alzheimer's disease mouse models, prior to plaque formation. Blocking C3 with CR3 antagonism reduced synapse loss. Established the complement-microglial pruning axis as a driver of early synaptic loss in AD.
Evidence labels
human tissueanimal model
Diseases
- Alzheimer's disease
Species
mouse, human
Methods
immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, synaptic puncta analysis, genetic knockouts
Therapeutic relevance
Provided rationale for complement inhibition strategies targeting microglial pruning in early AD.
Last reviewed: June 1, 2026