Monthly Archives: September 2020
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- September 29, 2020
Microglia play an essential role in brain homeostasis, neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain infections. Microglia are integral components of the neuro-glial cell network and are the resident immune cells of the brain. Recent studies indicate that microglia are derived from the yolk sac and can self-renew. Microglia are distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) to perform brain immune surveillance. Microglia are also the first to respond to injury or infection in the brain and are important for development of the adult brain.
Under homeostatic conditions, the population of microglia is strictly regulated. As microglia are critical cells for the CNS, they perform a diverse array of functions such as scavenging, phagocytic debris removal, antigen presentation, synaptic organization, extracellular signaling and promoting repair. Upon activation, they act as brain macrophages to clear cellular debris, damaged cells, or microbes when programmed cell death occurs
