Evidence mapPaperPMID 40987840Full record

ArticleNature metabolism2025

Cholesterol metabolic reprogramming mediates microglia-induced chronic neuroinflammation and hinders neurorestoration following stroke.

Qiang Zhao, Jiajian Li, Jingjing Feng, Xin Wang, Yueting Liu, Fei Wang, Liang Liu, Bingxue Jin, Ming Lin, Ya-Chao Wang and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Cholesterol Drives IFITM3CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
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  6. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Qiang ZhaoDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Jiajian LiDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Jingjing FengDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Xin WangDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Yueting LiuDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Fei WangDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Liang LiuDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Bingxue JinDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Ming LinDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.
Ya-Chao WangDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Xiuhua GuoDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jieli ChenDepartment of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tianjin, China.
Junwei HaoDepartment of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China. haojunwei@vip.163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3075-5434

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82090043
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic neuroinflammation is a major obstacle to post-stroke recovery, yet the underlying mechanisms, particularly the link between prolonged microglial activation and cholesterol metabolism, are not fully known. Here we show that ischaemic injury induces persistent microglial activation that perpetuates chronic inflammation, leading to microglial cholesterol accumulation and metabolic reprogramming. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified distinct stroke-associated foamy microglia clusters characterized by extensive reprogramming of cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, direct intracerebral free cholesterol or cholesterol crystal infusion recapitulated sustained microglial activation, directly linking aberrant cholesterol metabolism to prolonged neuroinflammatory responses. Therapeutically, we demonstrate that reducing microglial cholesterol overload through genetic or pharmacological activation of CYP46A1 in male mice promotes white matter repair and functional recovery. These findings highlight microglial cholesterol metabolism as a key driver of post-stroke inflammation, offering therapeutic strategies targeting cholesterol metabolism to mitigate long-term brain damage and promote neurorestoration, potentially improving stroke-related disability outcomes.

Indexed as

CholesterolMicrogliaNeuroinflammatory DiseasesStrokeAnimalsInflammationMaleMetabolic ReprogrammingMiceMice, Inbred C57BLCholesterol

Identifiers

PMID40987840
PMCPMC12552130

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.