Microglial mitochondria transfer to astrocytes via GPNMB-enriched extracellular vesicles alleviates cognitive deficits in tauopathy mice

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 26 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02317-w

In PS19 mice, microglia-derived glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B promotes mitochondrial extracellular vesicle secretion, enabling mitochondrial transfer to astrocytes. This improves astrocytic function and reduces Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms, while GPNMB deficiency impairs it, highlighting new AD treatment avenues.