ARUK 2021 | Microglia associated with longevity and a lower AD risk

Dervis Salih, PhD, University College London, London, UK, explains the link between life span and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), where certain people who have a longer life span can have normal cognitive function and other people may develop AD in their 70s or 80s. By investigating the variation in people with different life spans, networks with increased microglial expression were associated with longer life spans, strengthening the notion that microglia have protective effects against AD. This interview took place during the Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Conference 2021.