MicroRNA-223 Enhances Microglia-Dependent Clearance of Amyloid Beta Plaques and Ameliorates Behavioral Deficits in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

The Alzheimers disease (AD) brain is characterized by dysregulated expression of multiple microRNAs (miRNA), positioning them as promising diagnostic and therapeutic targets. The levels of glia-enriched miR-223 are abnormal in the brains and plasma of AD patients and miR-223 is neuroprotective in models of stroke. However, whether miR-223 can be beneficial in AD is not known. Here, we report that intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of miR-223 oligonucleotide mimic alleviated cognitive impairment, reduced amyloid beta (A{beta}) pathology, and ameliorated the defects in synaptic marker expression in AppNL-G-F AD model mice. Mechanistically, miR-223 induced microglial clustering around A{beta} plaques with a concomitant upregulation of microglial phagocytic receptors AXL, TREM2 and CD11c, while pharmacological microglial depletion abolished the plaque-clearance phenotype. Moreover, in human iPSC-derived microglia miR-223 directly targeted multiple genes in the endo-lysosomal pathway, including AD risk gene SPPL2A, indicating that it acts as a major regulator of microglial phenotype. Lastly, long-term AAV-mediated overexpression of miR-223 recapitulates its beneficial effects on cognition, pathology, and synaptic marker expression. Our study demonstrates a novel approach for the treatment of AD using miR-223 and highlights the potential of RNAi-based therapeutics in neurodegenerative disease.