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Innate immune mechanisms mediate loss of corticostriatal synapses in Huntington’s disease

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By analyzing human samples and multiple mouse models of Huntington’s disease, we found that complement proteins and microglia mediate early and selective loss of corticostriatal synapses. Strategies that block this process can reduce synaptic loss, increase excitatory input to the striatum and prevent the development of cognitive deficits in mice.

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Fig. 1: Complement and microglia mediate elimination of corticostriatal synapses in HD mice.

References

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This is a summary of: Wilton, D. K. et al. Microglia and complement mediate early corticostriatal synapse loss and cognitive dysfunction in Huntington’s disease. Nat. Med. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02566-3 (2023).

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Innate immune mechanisms mediate loss of corticostriatal synapses in Huntington’s disease. Nat Med 29, 2718–2719 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02616-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02616-w

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