Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41216966›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2025

Inhibition of Acyl-CoenzymeA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase 1 promotes shedding of soluble triggering receptor on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LRP1)-dependent phagocytosis of amyloid beta protein in microglia.

Moriah J Hovde, Anna Maaser-Hecker, Jun-Seok Bae, Rudolph E Tanzi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing 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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. WTAP-Mediated mAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Moriah J HovdeDepartment of Neurology, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
Anna Maaser-HeckerDepartment of Neurology, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
Jun-Seok BaeDepartment of Neurology, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
Rudolph E TanziDepartment of Neurology, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

Training in the Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's DiseaseT32AG000222 · NIA · HARVARD UNIVERSITY (MEDICAL SCHOOL) · PI Bruce A YANKNER · 1992 to 2026
$18.5M
Cure Alzheimer's Fund T32 AG000222-31Freedom Together FundNIA NIH HHS T32 AG000222NIA NIH HHS T32AG000222NIH
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionLipid regulation is crucial role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. In AD, microglia show elevated sterol O-acyltransferase 1/Acyl-coenzymeA: Choleseterol Acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1) expression, encoding Acyl-coenzymeA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase 1  (ACAT1), which produces cholesteryl esters (CEs) in lipid droplets. Inhibiting ACAT1 has been shown to reduce amyloid beta (Aβ) pathology, though the mechanism is unclear.

methodsWe inhibited ACAT1 using avasimibe (AV) in wild-type, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) knockout (KO), and low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) KO mouse BV2 and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia and measured the impact on Aβ uptake to determine the mechanism through which the inhibition of ACAT1 enhances Aβ uptake.

resultsACAT1 inhibition increased LRP1 levels and soluble TREM2 (sTREM2) release via enhanced TREM2 cleavage by ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10/17 (ADAM10/17). KO of TREM2 or blockade of sTREM2 release prevented AV-enhanced Aβ uptake. This effect was rescued by recombinant sTREM2, but only when LRP1 was present. DISCUSSION: ACAT1 inhibition promotes microglial Aβ uptake in a sTREM2- and LRP1-dependent manner, offering insights into novel therapeutic strategies for AD. HIGHLIGHTS: Inhibition of ACAT1, the major enzyme that catalyzes cholesterol storage via esterification enhances microglia-mediated Aβ uptake. Increased Aβ uptake is dependent on the presence of both TREM2 and LRP1. Inhibition of ACAT1 increases cleavage of TREM2 via ADAM10/17 to release sTREM2. Treatment of microglial cells with sTREM2 rescues Aβ uptake in TREM2 KO BV2 cells. Inhibition of ACAT1 promotes Aβ uptake through increased shedding of TREM2, which enhances Aβ uptake through a LRP1-dependent mechanism.

Indexed as

Acetyl-CoA C-AcetyltransferaseAmyloid beta-PeptidesLow Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1Membrane GlycoproteinsMicrogliaPhagocytosisReceptors, ImmunologicSterol O-AcyltransferaseAnimalsHumansMiceMice, KnockoutAcat1 protein, mouseAcetyl-CoA C-AcetyltransferaseAmyloid beta-PeptidesLow Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1Lrp1 protein, mouseMembrane GlycoproteinsReceptors, ImmunologicSterol O-Acyltransferasesterol O-acyltransferase 1TREM2 protein, humanTrem2 protein, mouseACAT1/SOAT1Alzheimer's diseaseamyloid betalipid dropletsLRP1microgliaphagocytosisTREM2

Identifiers

PMID41216966
PMCPMC12603916

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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 OpenQuestion graph.