It is well established that the ε4 variant of APOE increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but there is no firm consensus as to why this is the case. Theories abound. Researchers here suggest that the mechanism of interest is increased neuroinflammation, as APOEε4 increases the tendency for the innate immune cells known as microglia to become activated and inflammatory in the aging brain. There has been an increased focus on chronic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease in recent years, particularly given the continued failure to produce meaningful patient benefits via c…
Theorizing that the APOEε4 Variant Increases Alzheimer's Risk Through Increased Microglial Inflammation
It is well established that the ε4 variant of APOE increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but there is no firm consensus as to why this is the case. Theories abound. Researchers here suggest that the mechanism of interest is increased neuroinflammation, as APOEε4 increases the tendency for the innate immune cells known as microglia to become activated and inflammatory in the aging brain. There has been an increased focus on chronic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease in recent years, particularly given the continued failure to produce meaningful patient benefits via c…