Microglia are innate immune cells resident in the brain, somewhat analogous to macrophages elsewhere in the body. Like macrophages, microglia exhibit a diverse set of states, and can shift from one state to another in response to circumstances. At the high level, much of the literature focuses on the inflammatory M1 state, capable of hunting and destroying pathogens and errant cells, versus the anti-inflammatory M2 state, focused on regeneration and tissue maintenance. But, as the authors of today’s open access paper point out, this is an oversimplification of a much more complex continuum of st…
Microglia in Neurodegenerative Conditions, More Complex than Simply a Double-Edged Sword
Microglia are innate immune cells resident in the brain, somewhat analogous to macrophages elsewhere in the body. Like macrophages, microglia exhibit a diverse set of states, and can shift from one state to another in response to circumstances. At the high level, much of the literature focuses on the inflammatory M1 state, capable of hunting and destroying pathogens and errant cells, versus the anti-inflammatory M2 state, focused on regeneration and tissue maintenance. But, as the authors of today’s open access paper point out, this is an oversimplification of a much more complex continuum of st…