Brain HealthLoss of an Alzheimer's-Linked Gene Affects Male and Female Mouse Brains Differently
A gene linked to Alzheimer's disease may affect brain support cells differently in males and females. Researchers studied mice with normal Plcg2 function, partial deficiency, or complete deficiency, without the amyloid or tau changes associated with Alzheimer's. They measured gene activity in individual brain cells and built a publicly available reference atlas. Changes appeared in the brain's immune cells and other supporting cells, affecting pathways involved in energy production, protein maintenance, and neurodegenerative disease. Many pathways responded differently in male and female mice, with additional differences in predicted communication between cells. The findings could help researchers investigate sex differences in Alzheimer's biology, but they do not establish effects on memory, disease risk, or lifespan. No treatment recommendations follow from this study. This summary is based on the abstract only.
