Interestingly, just 2 significantly up-regulated miRNAs - miRNA-34a and miRNA-146a – appear to down-regulate mRNA targets involved in synaptogenesis (SHANK3), phagocytosis deficits and tau pathology (TREM2), inflammation (CFH; complement factor H) and amyloidogenesis (TSPAN12), all of which are distinguishing pathological features characteristic of middle-to-late stage AD neuropathology. This evidence concerns the gene SHANK3 and Alzheimer disease.