Cytokine expression profile in the human brain of older adults

Godoy, J. B.; Vialle, R. A.; dos Santos, L.; Raittz, R. T.; Wang, Y.; Menon, V.; De Jager, P.; Schneider, J. A.; Tasaki, S.; Bennett, D. A.; Guizelini, D.; Lopes, K.

doi:10.1101/2025.06.02.657444

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.06.02.657444

Cytokine expression profile in the human brain of older adults

Godoy, J. B.·Vialle, R. A.·dos Santos, L.·Raittz, R. T.·Wang, Y.·Menon, V.·De Jager, P.·Schneider, J. A.·Tasaki, S.·Bennett, D. A.·Guizelini, D.·Lopes, K.

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Abstract

Alzheimers disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative condition linked to chronic neuroinflammation. This study investigates the cytokine gene expression profile in cortical tissue samples from elderly individuals with and without AD to identify potential biomarkers and enhance our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Utilizing high-depth RNA sequencing data, we identified a set of cytokines whose expression significantly associated with different aspects of the AD phenotype, including measures of neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid-{beta} deposition, and a person-specific rate of cognitive decline. Single-nucleus transcriptomics data facilitated the identification of specific cell types, such as microglia and oligodendrocytes, that significantly contribute to the inflammatory response in AD. Additionally, we observed a strong correlation between the expression of certain cytokines and genetic risk for the disease. Our findings indicate that cytokine-mediated neuroinflammation plays a vital role in AD progression and that modulating the immune response may offer a promising strategy for developing new therapies.

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Godoy, J. B., Vialle, R. A., dos Santos, L., Raittz, R. T., Wang, Y., Menon, V., De Jager, P., Schneider, J. A., Tasaki, S., Bennett, D. A., Guizelini, D., Lopes, K.. 2025-06-04. Cytokine expression profile in the human brain of older adults. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.02.657444

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