Review
Neurosciences
Xiao-Lan Wang, Lianjian Li
Summary: Microglia, the resident macrophages in the brain, play a crucial role in maintaining neural circuitry balance and promoting tissue homeostasis. However, their activation induced by chronic inflammation can lead to neuronal impairment. Dysfunction of microglia is implicated in various brain diseases, resulting in cognitive decline and energy imbalance.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xinrong Li, Shih-Chi Chen, Jacque Pak Kan Ip
Summary: This article explores the role of different cells in the brain, such as astrocytes, microglia, and vascular cells, in interacting with neurons and contributing to cognitive impairment in diseases. Specifically, it focuses on the importance of synaptic loss and dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and how miRNAs can be essential regulators in this process. The article also discusses the potential of miRNA-related biomarkers, therapeutics, and emerging imaging technologies for AD research.
Article
Neurosciences
Jingjing Cheng, Xiaolin Ma, Chunlu Li, Rahim Ullah, Xiaoyu Wang, Jianmei Long, Zhenxin Yuan, Shuangshuang Liu, Junfen Fu, Zhong Chen, Yi Shen, Yu-Dong Zhou
Summary: Overconsumption of high-fat diet can lead to neuroadaptive responses in the brain's reward circuitry, contributing to eating disorders. This study reveals that high-fat diet consumption hinders the suppression of sucrose-seeking in mice triggered by threat cues. It is found that enhanced cue-triggered neuronal activity in the anterior paraventricular thalamus, resulting from microglia activation induced by high-fat diet, contributes to this compulsive sucrose-seeking behavior.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yang Hu, Yuanyuan Yao, Honggang Qi, Jiurong Yang, Canyu Zhang, Aifeng Zhang, Xiufang Liu, Chenchen Zhang, Guangming Gan, Xinjian Zhu
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism by which microglia regulate epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability through CD39-dependentsignaling, highlighting the importance of the interaction between microglia and neurons in epilepsy.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Daiane F. Engel, Licio A. Velloso
Summary: In experimental models, hypothalamic dysfunction is a crucial component in the pathophysiology of diet-induced obesity. Structural and functional changes in neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and tanycytes of the mediobasal hypothalamus, shortly after the introduction of a high-fat diet, impact caloric intake, energy expenditure, and systemic glucose tolerance. Inflammation plays a central role in this response, and there is a temporal sequence of events determining the fate of different cells involved in the central regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Limeng Huang, Yiwen Chen, Sen Jin, Li Lin, Shumin Duan, Ke Si, Wei Gong, J. Julius Zhu
Summary: The study reveals that the output neurons of the amygdala receive diverse inputs with different weights and contextual representations. Additionally, the four major output neuronal groups receive inputs from virtually identical origins with similar input weights, indicating an organized input-output neuronal circuit in the amygdala.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Katherine Picard, Giorgio Corsi, Fanny Decoeur, Maria Amalia Di Castro, Maude Bordeleau, Marine Persillet, Sophie Laye, Cristina Limatola, Marie-Eve Tremblay, Agnes Nadjar
Summary: Sleep is regulated by various neuroanatomical and neurochemical systems, with microglia playing a significant role in sleep regulation. Depletion of microglia in female mice results in longer NREM sleep duration and increased number of sleep episodes.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mehmet Neset ozel, Felix Simon, Shadi Jafari, Isabel Holguera, Yen-Chung Chen, Najate Benhra, Rana Naja El-Danaf, Katarina Kapuralin, Jennifer Amy Malin, Nikolaos Konstantinides, Claude Desplan
Summary: Deciphering neuronal diversity in the Drosophila optic lobe during pupal development reveals transient extrinsic neurons and dorsoventral asymmetry in visual circuits.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Zhao, Daehoon Lee, Xiao-Juan Zhu, Wen-Cheng Xiong
Summary: Embryonic neuronal Vps35 is critical for blood vessel branching and maturation in the developing mouse brain, with BV-associated microglia playing a role in this process.
Article
Cell Biology
Jang-Hyuk Yun, Da-Hye Lee, Han-Seok Jeong, Hye Sun Kim, Sang-Kyu Ye, Chung-Hyun Cho
Summary: Research found that microglia activation is associated with neuronal lesions in diabetes, with STAT3 activation playing a crucial role in neuronal apoptosis in the diabetic hippocampus.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julie Somkhit, Constantin Yanicostas, Nadia Soussi-Yanicostas
Summary: Organophosphate compounds cause toxic poisoning and neuroinflammation, and microglia play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of OP intoxication. A study using zebrafish larvae as a model revealed that acute exposure to diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) induced microglial phenotypic remodelling and massive neuroinflammation. Depletion of microglia reduced OP-induced neuronal hyperactivation, suggesting that microglia could be a therapeutic target for OP poisoning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Junya Onodera, Hidetaka Nagata, Ai Nakashima, Yuji Ikegaya, Ryuta Koyama
Summary: Our study demonstrated that neuronal BDNF prevents microglia from engulfing mossy fiber synapses in the hippocampus, while microglial BDNF affects the structural and functional properties of neurons.
Article
Cell Biology
Ilkka Fagerlund, Antonios Dougalis, Anastasia Shakirzyanova, Mireia Gomez-Budia, Anssi Pelkonen, Henna Konttinen, Sohvi Ohtonen, Mohammad Feroze Fazaludeen, Marja Koskuvi, Johanna Kuusisto, Damian Hernandez, Alice Pebay, Jari Koistinaho, Tuomas Rauramaa, Sarka Lehtonen, Paula Korhonen, Tarja Malm
Summary: Human cerebral organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells can mimic the development of the cerebral cortex. By transplanting erythromyeloid progenitors differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells, microglia-like cells can be formed in the organoids, promoting neuronal and network maturation through interaction with synaptic material.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tyler Salners, Karina E. Avila, Benjamin Nicholson, Christopher R. Myers, John Beggs, Karin A. Dahmen
Summary: A statistical analysis of large neuronal avalanches in mouse and rat brain tissues reveals recurrent activity and cyclic patterns of activation, unlike smaller avalanches. By adapting a model of structural weakening in materials, it is found that dynamical weakening of neuron firing thresholds closely replicates experimental observations. This suggests that dynamical weakening plays a crucial role in the recurrent activity of large neuronal avalanches, providing insights into the causes and dynamics of conditions such as seizures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Javier Rueda-Carrasco, Dimitra Sokolova, Sang-Eun Lee, Thomas Childs, Natalia Jurcakova, Gerard Crowley, Sebastiaan De Schepper, Judy Z. Ge, Joanne Lachica, Christina E. Toomey, Oliver J. Freeman, John Hardy, Samuel J. Barnes, Tammaryn Lashley, Beth Stevens, Sunghoe Chang, Soyon Hong
Summary: Neuronal hyperactivity is a key feature in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Microglia play a potential role in disease risk, and this study found that microglia engulf apoptotic-like spines in response to Aβ oligomer stimulation, thereby reducing synaptic hyperactivity. The findings suggest a beneficial role for microglia in the earliest stages of AD.
Article
Neurosciences
Kylynda C. Bauer, Elisa M. York, Mihai S. Cirstea, Nina Radisavljevic, Charisse Petersen, Kelsey E. Huus, Eric M. Brown, Tahereh Bozorgmehr, Rebeca Berdun, Louis-Philippe Bernier, Amy H. Y. Lee, Sarah E. Woodward, Zakhar Krekhno, Jun Han, Robert E. W. Hancock, Victoria Ayala, Brian A. MacVicar, Barton Brett Finlay
Summary: Fecal-oral contamination promotes malnutrition pathology and cognitive impairment. In this study, the researchers found that continuous exposure to fecal commensals affected the morphology and transcriptional profile of microglial cells in malnourished mice, leading to altered neuroimmune responses and brain plasticity. Additionally, mitigating cognitive deficits in the malnourished mice was possible through supplementation with an omega-3 PUFA/antioxidant-associated diet, highlighting PUFA metabolism as a potential therapeutic target.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Zhi Tan, Zhen-Jia Lin, Long-Jun Wu, Li-Jun Zhou
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Mihai S. Cirstea, Daniel Kliger, Abbey D. MacLellan, Adam C. Yu, Jenna Langlois, Mannie Fan, Seti Boroomand, Faezeh Kharazyan, Robin G. Y. Hsiung, Brian A. MacVicar, Howard Chertkow, Victor Whitehead, B. Brett Finlay, Silke Appel-Cresswell
Summary: This study examined the associations between the microbiota and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The results showed that AD patients had lower diversity in their gut microbiota compared to controls, while the oral microbiota displayed marked differences. No significant associations were found between microbiota and cognition, but there were correlations between microbiota and mood disorders and BMI among AD patients.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Anthony D. Umpierre, Koichiro Haruwaka, Long-Jun Wu
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Michelle Zuo, Naomi M. Fettig, Louis-Philippe Bernier, Elisabeth Possnecker, Shoshana Spring, Annie Pu, Xianjie Ma, Dennis Sw Lee, Lesley A. Ward, Anshu Sharma, Jens Kuhle, John G. Sled, Anne-Katrin Probstel, Brian A. MacVicar, Lisa C. Osborne, Jennifer L. Gommerman, Valeria Ramaglia
Summary: The progression and pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients are associated with age and other immune cells, such as neutrophils, in addition to the inflammation caused by autoreactive T cells.
Review
Neurosciences
Sebastian Parusel, Min-Hee Yi, Christine L. Hunt, Long-Jun Wu
Summary: Chronic pain relief remains an unmet medical need and glia-neuron interaction plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Microglia play a significant role in the development of chronic pain. Chemogenetic and optogenetic tools provide powerful means to study the function of microglia in chronic pain.
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Nan Gu, Min-Hee Yi, Madhuvika Murugan, Manling Xie, Sebastian Parusel, Jiyun Peng, Ukpong B. Eyo, Christine L. Hunt, Hailong Dong, Long-Jun Wu
Summary: Microglia play a crucial role in formalin-induced pain by amplifying neuronal activity in the spinal dorsal horn. The P2Y12 receptor is required for microglial function in this type of pain.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefan Wendt, Sora Johnson, Nicholas L. Weilinger, Christopher Groten, Stefano Sorrentino, Jonathan Frew, Lucy Yang, Hyun B. Choi, Haakon B. Nygaard, Brian A. MacVicar
Summary: The inter-relationship between microglia dynamics and oxidative stress in dystrophic neurites at Alzheimer's Disease plaques may contribute to the pathological changes in neurons. Microglia preferentially enwrap neurites exhibiting the greatest degree of oxidative stress, and depletion of microglia leads to increased oxidative stress in neurites. These findings suggest a complex role of microglia in Alzheimer's Disease, with both neuroprotective and neurotoxic components.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Morgan Towriss, Brian MacVicar, Annie Vogel Ciernia
Summary: Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, have two memory states - training and tolerance, which are associated with increased and attenuated expression of inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Aerobic glycolysis triggered by the first stimulation is a critical step in the induction of innate immune tolerance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew L. Neal, Eric E. Beier, Muhammad M. Hossain, Alexa Boyle, Jiaying Zheng, Chunki Kim, Isha Mhatre-Winters, Long-Jun Wu, Jason R. Richardson
Summary: Through data mining and experiments, it was found that the expression of the HVCN1 gene is increased in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients, and the neuroinflammatory response mediated by the Hv1 protein is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. It was also observed that Hv1 deficiency can reduce neuroinflammation and protect dopaminergic neurons, indicating its potential as a novel target for neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease.
Article
Immunology
Aastha Dheer, Dale B. Bosco, Jiaying Zheng, Lingxiao Wang, Shunyi Zhao, Koichiro Haruwaka, Min-Hee Yi, Abhijeet Barath, Dai-Shi Tian, Long-Jun Wu
Summary: Microglial activation plays a crucial role in the pathology of epilepsy, with both acute and prolonged activation affecting seizure severity and neuronal loss.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2024)
Review
Neurosciences
Manling Xie, Praveen N. Pallegar, Sebastian Parusel, Aivi T. Nguyen, Long-Jun Wu
Summary: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons and resulting muscle weakness. This review discusses the phenomenon of cortical hyperexcitability in ALS at the presymptomatic stage and explores the potential role of glial cells in regulating abnormal neuronal activity. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to earlier diagnosis and new treatment targets for ALS.
MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Jiaying Zheng, Lingxiao Wang, Shunyi Zhao, Wenjing Zhang, Yuzhou Chang, Dale B. Bosco, Tao Huang, Aastha Dheer, Shan Gao, Shengze Xu, Katayoun Ayasoufi, Rawan Al-Kharboosh, Fangfang Qi, Manling Xie, Aaron J. Johnson, Haidong Dong, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, Long-Jun Wu
Summary: The study revealed significantly elevated levels of TREM2 expression in brain tumors compared to other types of tumors in patients, predominantly localized in tumor-associated myeloid cells. Surprisingly, TREM2 deficiency did not confer a beneficial effect in preclinical glioma models, instead accelerating glioma progression by impairing the phagocytosis of tumor cells and reducing MHCII expression, leading to decreased presence of CD4(+) T cells within the tumor hemispheres.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Stuart M. Cain, Louis-Philippe Bernier, Yiming Zhang, Andrew C. Yung, Jennifer Kass, Barry Bohnet, Yi Yang, Rayshad Gopaul, Piotr Kozlowski, Brian A. MacVicar, Terrance P. Snutch
Summary: This study found that neurons in the superior colliculus of Cacna1a(S218L) mice exhibit hyperexcitable properties, which can initiate fatal spreading depolarization, leading to respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dai-Shi Tian, Chuan Qin, Luo-Qi Zhou, Sheng Yang, Man Chen, Jun Xiao, Ke Shang, Dale B. Bosco, Long-Jun Wu, Wei Wang
Summary: This study investigates the role of revascularization and angiogenesis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) by analyzing plasma protein profiles and transcriptomic data. The findings suggest that FSAP may serve as a potential biomarker for collateral status after LVO and a promising therapeutic target for stroke treatment. The study also demonstrates the involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway in FSAP-mediated endothelial dysfunction and neurological deficits.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2022)
