Astrocyte interleukin-3 preps microglia.

Brain β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition is a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias, in which Aβ amounts correlate with disease burden. McAlpine et al. reveal that astrocyte expression or administration of interleukin (IL)-3 in the context of aggregated Aβ endows microglia with enhanced capability to cluster and clear Aβ oligomers.