Cranial radiation activates an upstream complement cascade component, C1q, leading to brain injury. Microglia-specific deletion of C1q prevents astrocyte and microglial activation, synaptic loss, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment. Therapeutically inhibiting complement activation may help mitigate radiation-induced cognitive decline.

See related article by Markarian et al., p. 1732

©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.
2021
American Association for Cancer Research.
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