Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41888907›Full record

ReviewMolecular neurodegeneration2026

PLCG2 signaling and genetic resilience in Alzheimer's disease.

Andy P Tsai, Amara K Martin, Andrew Mi, Ava E Yeh, Eduardo Ramirez Lopez, Tony Wyss-Coray

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular neurodegeneration, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Andy P TsaiDepartment of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Amara K Martin *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Andrew Mi *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Ava E Yeh *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Eduardo Ramirez LopezDepartment of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Tony Wyss-CorayDepartment of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. twc@stanford.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and pathological hallmarks, including amyloid plaques, tau tangles, microgliosis, and chronic neuroinflammation. Over the past decade, advances in human genetics have revealed microglia and the innate immune pathways are central determinants of AD susceptibility, resilience, and progression, fundamentally redefining the recent conceptual framework of AD research. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) implicate microglia-enriched genes including triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), phospholipase-C gamma 2 (PLCG2), and inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase D (INPP5D). Among these, the rare PLCG2 P522R variant is associated with reduced AD risk, enhanced microglial responsiveness, and enrichment in cognitively healthy centenarians. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic studies have uncovered substantial microglial heterogeneity and pronounced region-specific alterations across age and disease progression. These analyses show that microglia transition through a spectrum of transcriptionally distinct states regulated by coordinated remodeling of lipid metabolic, phagocytic and lysosomal pathways, as well as cytokine-receptor signaling networks. Depending on the direction of these state transitions, microglia may engage neuroprotective programs that enhance debris clearance, maintain tissue homeostasis, and support repair, or alternatively, enter maladaptive states characterized by defective lipid processing, chronic inflammatory signaling, and heightened neurotoxicity. Here, we review genetic, molecular, and pharmacological evidence supporting PLCG2 as a compelling therapeutic target in AD. We integrate insights from transcriptomic and structural analyses, iPSC-derived microglia, and in vivo models that show how PLCG2 modulates microglial states, promotes brain resilience, and mitigates AD-related pathophysiology. We also highlight recent progress in identifying small-molecule PLCG2 activators via high-throughput lipid-vesicle assays and affinity-selection mass spectrometry. Collectively, these multidisciplinary advances position PLCG2 as a genetically validated, mechanistically tractable, and pharmacologically actionable target for precision immune-modulation strategies aimed at preserving cognition and enhancing resilience in brain aging and AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseasePhospholipase C gammaSignal TransductionAnimalsGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMicrogliaPhospholipase C gammaPLCG2 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41888907
PMCPMC13023205

What Socratic holds

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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.