Microglia contributes to plaque growth by cell death due to uptake of amyloid β in the brain of Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Activated microglia may contribute to Aβ plaque growth through cell death and release of accumulated amyloid β.

• Microglia surrounding amyloid β plaques take up Aβ in the brains of 5XFAD mice.
• Clusters of Aβ develop inside activated microglia before they undergo cell death.
• Dying microglia release Aβ into the extracellular space, which is associated with plaque growth.
• The involvement of microglia in Aβ plaque dynamics was confirmed using live imaging and flow cytometry.

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