Fig. 3
From: Mechanism and therapeutic potential of targeting cGAS-STING signaling in neurological disorders
Targeting cGAS preserves MEF2C-mediated cognitive resilience against tauopathy. In disease or vulnerable conditions, pathogenic tau activates the cGAS-dependent IFN response via mtDNA leakage in microglia and a reduction of the MEF2C transcriptional network in excitatory and inhibitory neurons, resulting in cognitive dysfunction. Loss of cGAS through genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition reduces the IFN response in microglia and enhances the MEF2C transcriptional network in neurons, resulting in cognitive resilience