Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", 98124 Messina, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 13;19(3):831. doi: 10.3390/ijms19030831.
In physiological conditions, different types of macrophages can be found within the central nervous system (CNS), i.e., microglia, meningeal macrophages, and perivascular (blood-brain barrier) and choroid plexus (blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier) macrophages. Microglia and tissue-resident macrophages, as well as blood-borne monocytes, have different origins, as the former derive from yolk sac erythromyeloid precursors and the latter from the fetal liver or bone marrow. Accordingly, specific phenotypic patterns characterize each population. These cells function to maintain homeostasis and are directly involved in the development and resolution of neuroinflammatory processes. Also, following inflammation, circulating monocytes can be recruited and enter the CNS, therefore contributing to brain pathology. These cell populations have now been identified as key players in CNS pathology, including autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, and degenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we review the evidence on the involvement of CNS macrophages in neuroinflammation and the advantages, pitfalls, and translational opportunities of pharmacological interventions targeting these heterogeneous cellular populations for the treatment of brain diseases.
在生理条件下，中枢神经系统 (CNS) 内存在多种类型的巨噬细胞，即小胶质细胞、脑膜巨噬细胞以及血管周（血脑屏障）和脉络丛（血脑脊液屏障）巨噬细胞。小胶质细胞和组织驻留巨噬细胞以及血源性单核细胞具有不同的起源，前者来源于卵黄囊红髓前体细胞，后者来源于胎儿肝脏或骨髓。因此，每种细胞群都具有特定的表型模式。这些细胞的功能是维持内环境稳定，并直接参与神经炎症过程的发展和解决。此外，在炎症发生后，循环单核细胞可被募集并进入中枢神经系统，从而导致脑病理学改变。这些细胞群现已被确定为中枢神经系统病理学的关键参与者，包括自身免疫性疾病，如多发性硬化症，以及退行性疾病，如肌萎缩侧索硬化症和阿尔茨海默病。在这里，我们回顾了有关中枢神经系统巨噬细胞参与神经炎症的证据，以及针对这些异质细胞群进行药理学干预以治疗脑部疾病的优势、陷阱和转化机会。
