Immune-related brain cells contribute to small blood vessel and plaque buildup in a mouse model of Alzheimer's

Plaque growth in APP(SW) transgenic mice is associated with an increase in microglial cells from 2 to 113 in the largest plaque.

• Amyloid deposition occurs in capillary walls and perivascular plaques, indicating a shared pathological process.
• The growth of microglial cells does not lead to the degradation of amyloid deposits.
• An increase in the number and volume of microglial cells correlates with plaque volume growth from 1555 to 284,497 microm(3).
• Microglial cells do not exhibit morphological evidence of internalizing or degrading fibrillar amyloid.
• The findings suggest that both capillary amyloidosis and plaque formation may involve similar mechanisms.

Simplified