Stabilizing TREM2, a potential strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease
Independently from each other, two research groups have now revealed the molecular mechanism behind this mutation. Their research, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine , sheds light on the role of TREM2 in normal brain function and suggests a new therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease treatment. Alzheimer's disease, just like other neurodegenerative diseases, is characterized by the accumulation of specific protein aggregates in the brain. Specialized brain immune cells called microglia strive to counter this process by engulfing the toxic buildup. But as the brain ages, microglia eventually lose out and fail to rid all the damaging material. TREM2 is active on microglia and enables them to carry out their protective function. The protein spans the microglia cell membrane and uses its external region to detect dying cells or lipids associated with toxic protein aggregates. Subsequently, TREM2 is cut in two. The external part is shed from the protein and released, whil...