Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait.
Undergraduate Dental Program, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 19;21(18):6875. doi: 10.3390/ijms21186875.
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain, constituting the powerhouse of brain innate immunity. They originate from hematopoietic precursors that infiltrate the developing brain during different stages of embryogenesis, acquiring a phenotype characterized by the presence of dense ramifications. Microglial cells play key roles in maintaining brain homeostasis and regulating brain immune responses. They continuously scan and sense the brain environment to detect any occurring changes. Upon detection of a signal related to physiological or pathological processes, the cells are activated and transform to an amoeboid-like phenotype, mounting adequate responses that range from phagocytosis to secretion of inflammatory and trophic factors. The overwhelming evidence suggests that microglia are crucially implicated in influencing neuronal proliferation and differentiation, as well as synaptic connections, and thereby cognitive and behavioral functions. Here, we review the role of microglia in adult neurogenesis under physiological conditions, and how this role is affected in neurodegenerative diseases.
小胶质细胞是大脑的固有免疫细胞，是大脑先天免疫的动力源。它们起源于造血前体细胞，这些前体细胞在胚胎发生的不同阶段渗透到发育中的大脑中，获得了以密集分支为特征的表型。小胶质细胞在维持大脑内环境稳定和调节大脑免疫反应方面发挥着关键作用。它们不断扫描和感知大脑环境，以检测任何发生的变化。一旦检测到与生理或病理过程相关的信号，细胞就会被激活并转变为阿米巴样表型，做出适当的反应，范围从吞噬作用到炎症和营养因子的分泌。大量证据表明，小胶质细胞在影响神经元增殖和分化以及突触连接，从而影响认知和行为功能方面起着至关重要的作用。在这里，我们回顾了小胶质细胞在生理条件下对成体神经发生的作用，以及这种作用在神经退行性疾病中是如何受到影响的。
