The central nervous system is separated from the rest of the body by the blood-brain barrier, a layer of specialized cells wrapping blood vessels in the brain. These only allow certain molecules and cells to cross back and forth, and so the biochemical and cellular environment of the brain can be quite different from that of tissues it interacts with connected to. The brain even has its own distinct immune system: microglia, for example, are innate immune cells analogous to macrophages elsewhere in the body. Microglia are involved in an arguably broader range of activities than is the case for macrophages. They support core …
Microglia Harm the Blood-Brain Barrier as a Result of the Chronic Inflammation of Aging
The central nervous system is separated from the rest of the body by the blood-brain barrier, a layer of specialized cells wrapping blood vessels in the brain. These only allow certain molecules and cells to cross back and forth, and so the biochemical and cellular environment of the brain can be quite different from that of tissues it interacts with connected to. The brain even has its own distinct immune system: microglia, for example, are innate immune cells analogous to macrophages elsewhere in the body. Microglia are involved in an arguably broader range of activities than is the case for macrophages. They support core …