The main driver of Alzheimer’s disease is excessive inflammation in the brain that is triggered by cells called astrocytes and microglia in response to high levels of amyloid beta deposits and tau tangles. New research reveals that a subset of astrocytes releases a molecule called interleukin-3 that instructs microglia to adopt a protective response and clear away amyloid beta deposits and tau tangles. Interleukin-3 may hold promise as a new therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer’s disease.