Amyloid-β(1-42) protofibrils formed in modified artificial cerebrospinal fluid bind and activate microglia.

Soluble aggregated forms of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) have garnered significant attention recently for their role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Protofibrils are a subset of these soluble species and are considered intermediates in the aggregation pathway to mature Aβ fibrils. Biological studies have demonstrated that protofibrils exhibit both toxic and inflammatory activities.