Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
J Neurosci Res. 2017 Dec;95(12):2420-2429. doi: 10.1002/jnr.24066. Epub 2017 Jun 23.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a severe, life-threatening illness characterized by gradual memory loss. The classic histological features of AD include extracellular formation of β-amyloid plaques (Aβ), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), and synaptic loss. Recently, accumulated evidence has confirmed the critical role of microglia in the development and exacerbation of AD. When Aβ forms deposits, microglia quickly respond to restore brain physiology by activating a series of repair mechanisms. However, prolonged microglial activation is considered detrimental and may aggravate AD progression. To date, there are no curative therapies for AD. The advent of stem cell transplantation offers novel strategies to treat AD in animal models. Furthermore, studies have reported that transplanted stem cells might ameliorate AD symptoms by regulating microglial functions, from detrimental to protective. This review focuses on the crucial functions of microglia in AD and examines the reactions of microglia to transplanted stem cells.
阿尔茨海默病（AD）是一种严重的、危及生命的疾病，其特征是逐渐丧失记忆。AD 的经典组织学特征包括β-淀粉样蛋白斑块（Aβ）的细胞外形成、细胞内神经原纤维缠结（NFT）和突触丧失。最近，越来越多的证据证实了小胶质细胞在 AD 的发展和恶化中的关键作用。当 Aβ 形成沉积物时，小胶质细胞通过激活一系列修复机制迅速作出反应，以恢复大脑的生理机能。然而，小胶质细胞的长期激活被认为是有害的，可能会加重 AD 的进展。迄今为止，AD 还没有治愈疗法。干细胞移植的出现为治疗 AD 动物模型提供了新的策略。此外，研究报道移植的干细胞可能通过调节小胶质细胞的功能来改善 AD 症状，从小胶质细胞的有害作用转变为保护作用。本综述重点关注小胶质细胞在 AD 中的关键作用，并探讨了小胶质细胞对移植干细胞的反应。
