Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36314770›Full record

ArticleeLife2022

Constitutively active STING causes neuroinflammation and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in mice.

Eva M Szego, Laura Malz, Nadine Bernhardt, Angela Rösen-Wolff, Björn H Falkenburger, Hella Luksch

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed
6.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
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

53 citing papers in PubMed, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. [Mechanisms of cGAS-STING signaling pathway mediated neuroinflammation in central nervous system and their therapeutic implications].Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. [Mechanisms of cGAS-STING-mediated chronic inflammation and targeted interventions in brain aging].Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Expanding roles of cGAS-STING signaling in neuroinflammation.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. cGAS-agonistic spherical nucleic acids reprogram the glioblastoma immune microenvironment and promote antitumor immunity.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
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  17. 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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Eva M Szego *Department of Neurology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2629-2131
Laura Malz *Departments of Neurology & Pediatrics, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Nadine BernhardtDepartment of Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3188-8431
Angela Rösen-WolffDepartment of Pediatrics, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9613-5879
Björn H FalkenburgerDepartment of Neurology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2387-526X
Hella LukschDepartment of Pediatrics, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7070-4992
Technische Universität Dresden · DEGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is activated after detection of cytoplasmic dsDNA by cGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) as part of the innate immunity defence against viral pathogens. STING binds TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). TBK1 mutations are associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the STING pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of further neurodegenerative diseases. To test whether STING activation is sufficient to induce neurodegeneration, we analysed a mouse model that expresses the constitutively active STING variant N153S. In this model, we focused on dopaminergic neurons, which are particularly sensitive to stress and represent a circumscribed population that can be precisely quantified. In adult mice expressing N153S STING, the number of dopaminergic neurons was smaller than in controls, as was the density of dopaminergic axon terminals and the concentration of dopamine in the striatum. We also observed alpha-synuclein pathology and a lower density of synaptic puncta. Neuroinflammation was quantified by staining astroglia and microglia, by measuring mRNAs, proteins and nuclear translocation of transcription factors. These neuroinflammatory markers were already elevated in juvenile mice although at this age the number of dopaminergic neurons was still unaffected, thus preceding the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. More neuroinflammatory markers were blunted in mice deficient for inflammasomes than in mice deficient for signalling by type I interferons. Neurodegeneration, however, was blunted in both mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that chronic activation of the STING pathway is sufficient to cause degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Targeting the STING pathway could therefore be beneficial in Parkinson's disease and further neurodegenerative diseases.

Indexed as

Dopaminergic NeuronsNeuroinflammatory DiseasesAnimalsMiceMicrogliaNeurodegenerative DiseasesParkinson DiseaseSTING ProteinSting1 protein, mouseSTING Proteininflammasomeinnate immunitymouseneurodegenerationneuroinflammationneuroscienceparkinsonsynuclein

Identifiers

PMID36314770
PMCPMC9767458
OpenAlexW4307777491

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Registered trials

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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 OpenQuestion graph.