Given previously mentioned findings suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -associated protein aggregates could propagate through axons and synapses, as well as through direct uptake from the extracellular environment,165 the results of this study suggest that functional phagocytosing microglia are of importance in the prevention of pathological TDP-43 spread. Here, TARDBP is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.