Western blot analysis of a marker for microglia, CD11b/c, indicate a significant increase in microglia in the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD (3xTg-GFP) mice compared to non-Tg mice (Fig. 3F); AAV- NF-α1/CPE treatment showed a trend of decrease of this marker in 3xTg-CPE mice compared to 3xTg-GFP mice, but this did not reach statistical significance. This evidence concerns the gene ITGAM and Alzheimer disease.