For instance, both human fibroblasts and explanted mouse neurons treated with astrocyte-conditioned medium containing ApoE4 show a significant increase of MAM activity measured by both MAM-mediated phospholipid transport and ACAT1-mediated cholesteryl ester synthesis and lipid droplet formation (Tambini et al., 2016), suggesting a link between upregulation in MAM function and ApoE4 as a risk factor of AD (Figure 4). This evidence concerns the gene ACAT1 and Alzheimer disease.