TREM2-mediated microglial dynamic function in Alzheimer disease

Project Narrative Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of late-onset dementia affecting a large population of our aging society, yet we still do not have an effective way to treat this devastating disease. Towards this, the goal of this project is to understand the molecular etiology of AD by studying a strong genetic risk factor TREM2 which modulates microglial functions and immune responses in the brain. In vivo mouse models and in vitro iPSC cellular models will be used to collectively address the dynamic effects of TREM2-mediated molecular pathways to both inform disease mechanisms and suggest treatment strategies.