Given the complex interplay between different brain cell types in AD pathogenesis, they sought to investigate whether this effect extended to astrocytes, a type of glial cell in the brain which play a crucial role in neuroinflammation, synaptic regulation, and overall brain homeostasis. In fact, silencing RTP801 in 5xFAD hippocampal neurons also downregulated the levels of RTP801 astrocytes, confirming this crosstalk between neurons and astrocytes. To investigate the impact of silencing RTP801 on brain function, they used targeted gene therapy to decrease the levels of RTP801, specifically in astrocytes, and explored its impact on spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior, parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, and functional brain connectivity.