Targeting Microglial Phagocytosis for Alzheimer's Disease Management: Natural, Pharmacological, Nanoparticle, and Gene Therapy Approaches.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or primary human data.
PubMed 40641018 · doi:10.2174/0118715273378092250623064748
What was done
This narrative review synthesized molecular pathways regulating microglial phagocytosis in Alzheimer's disease (including TREM2, APOE, and CD33) and evaluated experimental therapeutic approaches to modulate microglial activation, focusing on pharmacological agents (such as minocycline, pioglitazone, and rifampicin), natural compounds, gene-editing tools, and nanomedicine.
What was found
The abstract reports no empirical numbers or quantitative findings. It describes the dual role of dysregulated microglial phagocytosis in reducing amyloid-beta clearance and exacerbating neuroinflammation, and summarizes emerging modalities aimed at restoring microglial balance.
Why it matters
It outlines how targeting microglial immune function and clearance mechanisms could provide complementary disease-modifying strategies for Alzheimer's disease management.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review with no primary human data, systematic search criteria, or quantitative synthesis. Translational barriers highlighted include microglial functional heterogeneity, limited fidelity of experimental models, and risk of off-target effects.
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