A genetically distinct microglial subset promotes myelination

Microglia are brain-resident macrophages with important, but insufficiently understood functions in development, health, and disease. In a new exciting study, Wlodarczyk and colleagues uncover a transient subset of CD11c+ microglia that regulate CNS myelination via IGF-1 expression. These findings represent not only the first evidence for a microglial role in myelinogenesis, but the first for a functionally distinct, genetically defined subpopulation of microglia.
Source: EMBO Journal - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Immunology, Neuroscience News [amp ] Views Source Type: research