Title:A Friend in Need May Not be a Friend Indeed: Role of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Volume: 12
Issue: 6
Author(s): Deepak Kumar Kaushik and Anirban Basu
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, central nervous system, cytokines, microglia, neuroinflammation, Parkinson’s disease, tolllike
receptors.
Abstract: Inflammation plays a critical role in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Microglia are the resident
macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) which actively take part in the neuronal development of CNS and are
involved in clearance of pathogens as well as cellular debris from the system upon insult to this organization. Chronic
activation of microglia in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD),
Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as well as inflammatory conditions of CNS such as
multiple sclerosis (MS) results in overall upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the brain
parenchyma. This compromises the neuronal health which further activates microglia by releasing death associated
molecules such as neuromelanin, Aβ peptides and cellular debris at the lesion site thereby forming a vicious cycle of
disease advancement. Targeting microglial activation has proven to be a viable option in the treatment of inflammation
related neurodegenerative diseases. This review will discuss the central position of inflammation and therapeutic
strategies aiming to alleviate disease progression in some of the important inflammatory conditions of CNS.