New Study Highlights CLIC1 Protein as Key Regulator in Brain Immune Cells for Alzheimer’s Research
A groundbreaking study led by Prof. Dr. Christian Madry at the Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, has identified the protein CLIC1 as a critical regulator in microglia, the brain’s immune cells, with significant implications for Alzheimer’s disease. Published in Science Advances and supported by a €120,000 grant from the Alzheimer Forschung Initiative e.V. (AFI), the research sheds light on how microglia function and offers potential new therapeutic avenues. Microglia serve as the brain’s guardians and cleanup crew, constantly scanning for pathogens, debris, or harmful deposits using highly mobile extensions. The study reveals that CLIC1 (Chloride Intracellular Channel 1) plays a dual role in these cells. First, it controls the mobility of microglial extensions, enabling efficient surveillance and clearance of toxic amyloid-beta proteins in early Alzheimer’s stages, before they form damaging plaques. Without CLIC1, microglia lose their characteristic branching…


