Inflammatory Microglia in Degenerative Aging and Alzheimer ' s Disease

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system, can enter an aggressive, inflammatory state in response to the presence of molecular waste, inflammatory signaling, mitochondrial damage, and so forth. They can also become senescent, which is also a pro-inflammatory state. The aging brain, and particularly the brains of patients with neurodegenerative conditions, exhibit a state of chronic inflammation, producing dysfunction, cell stress, and cell death. It remains to be seen as to how effective anti-inflammatory therapies targeting microglia will be in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions and the slowing of brain aging. Comparatively simple approaches already exist, such as the use of CSF1R inhibitors to clear existing maladaptive microglia and thereby allow a new population to emerge lacking the damage and inflammatory behavior of the preexisting cells. Time will tell as to their utility. Current evidence demonstrates that human microglial cells are a hugely varied and heterogeneous population. Microglial heterogeneity is crucial for neurodegeneration, although at the moment it was demonstrated mainly in neurodegenerative mice models. These animal models can only partially clarify what happens in humans due to the fact that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a proper human disease which is complex and related to both genetic and environmental factors, with a trajectory of evolution that is different and peculiar for each patient. Just think of the...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs