The relevance of microglial activation of neurotoxic astrocytes in neurodegenerative disease was substantiated whereby genetic deletion of Il1a, Tnf and C1qa produced strong neuroprotective and disease-modifying outcomes in a SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS, including a 54% extension to survival [51]. The gene discussed is C1QA; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.