Amyloid-β plaque-associated microglia drive TSPO upregulation in Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT: Translocator protein 18 kDA (TSPO) imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) is widely used to assess neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the significance of the increase in brain TSPO levels in AD pathophysiology is not known. Here, we show that in the 5XFAD transgenic mouse model, brain TSPO levels increase in an age-, brain region-, and sex-dependent fashion. TSPO levels were first increased in the subiculum at 1.5 months of age in male and female 5XFAD mice compared to wildtype mice. The TSPO increase in the subiculum of 1.5-month 5XFAD mice coincided with the appearance of Aβ aggregation and increased serum Aβ_1-42/Aβ_1-40 ratio which occurred prior to increased serum neurofilament light chain (Nfl) levels and well before cognitive functi

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Perez DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12271292 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature