TREM2 variants have been identified as risk factors for Alzheimer 's disease ( AD ) and other neurodegenerative diseases ( NDDs ) .
that the immune response can play an active role in the pathogenesis of NDDs .
TREM2 variants have been identified as risk factors for Alzheimer 's disease ( AD ) and other neurodegenerative diseases ( NDDs ) .
Because TREM2 encodes a receptor exclusively expressed on immune cells , identification of these variants conclusively demonstrates that the immune response can play an active role in the pathogenesis of NDDs .