Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Mar 20:11:374.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00374. eCollection 2020.

Microglia in Multiple Sclerosis: Friend or Foe?

Brooke L Guerrero  1 , Nancy L Sicotte  1
Affiliations
Review

Microglia in Multiple Sclerosis: Friend or Foe?

Brooke L Guerrero et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Microglia originate from myeloid progenitors in the embryonic yolk sac and play an integral role in central nervous system (CNS) development, immune surveillance and repair. The role of microglia in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been complex and controversial, with evidence suggesting that these cells play key roles in both active inflammation and remyelination. Here we will review the most recent histological classification of MS lesions as well as the evidence supporting both inflammatory and reparative functions of these cells. We will also review how microglia may yield new biomarkers for MS activity and serve as a potential target for therapy.

Keywords: PET imaging; biomarkers; disease modifying therapy; microglia; multiple sclerosis; pathology; quantitative susceptibility mapping.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Role of microgila in MS pathology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mosser CA, Baptista S, Arnoux I, Audinat E. Microglia in CNS development: shaping the brain for the future. Prog Neurobiol. (2017) 149–150:1–20. 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.01.002 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tremblay MÈ, Stevens B, Sierra A, Wake H, Bessis A, Nimmerjahn A. The role of microglia in the healthy brain. J Neurosci. (2011) 31:16064–9. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4158-11.2011 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stevens B, Allen NJ, Vazquez LE, Howell GR, Christopherson KS, Nouri N, et al. . The classical complement cascade mediates CNS synapse elimination. Cell. (2007) 131:1164–78. 10.1016/j.cell.2007.10.036 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wakselman S, Béchade C, Roumier A, Bernard D, Triller A, Bessis A. Developmental neuronal death in hippocampus requires the microglial CD11b integrin and DAP12 immunoreceptor. J Neurosci. (2008) 28:8138–43. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1006-08.2008 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hoshiko M, Arnoux I, Avignone E, Yamamoto N, Audinat E. Deficiency of the microglial receptor CX3CR1 impairs postnatal functional development of thalamocortical synapses in the barrel cortex. J Neurosci. (2012) 32:15106–11. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1167-12.2012 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms