IFNA1 and Alzheimer disease: However, the mechanisms by which STING-activated microglia contribute to neuron death in AD models is still an active area of investigation, with some studies suggesting that this occurs via microglia-mediated induction of alternate-fate–directed neurotoxic astrocytes (108), increasing neuron vulnerability following IFN-mediated downregulation of cognitive resilience transcription networks (Fig. 2B) (113).