The activation of microglia as an early sign of disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease

This chapter focuses on the contribution of activated microglia to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at various stages of the pathological cascade. Clusters of activated microglia occur only in complement-positive amyloidβ (Aβ) plaques, and effector functions of complement include the modulation of microglial activity in vitro. It addresses the question of whether microglia are detrimental or beneficial in AD pathogenesis, especially in relation to the presence and modulating activities of activation products of the complement system. This chapter focuses on the contribution of activated microglia to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at various stages of the pathological cascade. Clusters of activated microglia occur only in complement-positive amyloidβ (Aβ) plaques, and effector functions of complement include the modulation of microglial activity in vitro. It addresses the question of whether microglia are detrimental or beneficial in AD pathogenesis, especially in relation to the presence and modulating activities of activation products of the complement system.