MERTK and Alzheimer disease: In this regard, disease associated microglia are enriched with genes associated with increased phagocytosis and activation including SPP1 and ITGAX, and the expression of homeostatic genes including TMEM119 and Mertk is reduced [54], consistent with the glial proteomic changes observed in the Aβ plaque-bearing versus plaque-free regions of the 3xTg-AD mice.