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Microglial Response to Brain Injury: A Brief Synopsis

Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine and Brain Institute, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0244

In addition to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, microglia represent the third major population of glial cells within the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia are distributed ubiquitously throughout the brain and spinal cord, and one of their main functions is to monitor and sustain neuronal health. Microglial cells are quite sensitive to even minor disturbances in CNS homeostasis, and they become readily activated during most neuropathologic conditions, including peripheral nerve injury, trauma and stroke, inflammatory disease, and neurotoxicant-induced neuronal injury. During activation, microglia display conspicuous functional plasticity, which involves changes in cell morphology, cell number, cell surface receptor expression, and production of growth factors and cytokines. The many changes occurring in activated cells reflect the altered functional states of microglia that are induced by signals arising from injured neurons. Thus, neuronal-microglial signaling plays a fundamental role in understanding how the CNS responds to injury. Reactive microgliosis should be viewed as a cellular effort to initiate ameliorative and reparative measures in the injured brain.

Key Words: Microglia activation • neuropathology • reactive gliosis • neuronal injury • cell death • neurodegeneration • neuron-microglia interaction

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