Journal watch: Amyloid, microglia and synapse loss in Alzheimer’s – a complement-ary pathology

A novel study has indicated that beta-amyloid (Aβ) erroneously activates the complement cascade, inducing engulfment of synapses by microglia. Understanding this mechanism raises the possibility of novel therapeutic targets for treating early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Soyon Hong and Beth Stevens, both of Boston Children's Hospital (MA, USA), have recently demonstrated the mechanism of synapse loss in early AD mouse models, prior to the accumulation of amyloid plaques. The study, published in Science, demonstrates that the complement cascade is pivotal in Aβ-induced microglia engulfment of synapses in the hippocampus. Targeting the complement system for therapeutic intervention may therefore prevent further synapse...