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. 2024 Jul 11:18:1426079.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1426079. eCollection 2024.

Microglia as potential key regulators in viral-induced neuroinflammation

Fatme Seval Ismail #  1 , Timo Jendrik Faustmann #  2 , Pedro M Faustmann  3 , Franco Corvace  3
Affiliations

Microglia as potential key regulators in viral-induced neuroinflammation

Fatme Seval Ismail et al. Front Cell Neurosci. .
No abstract available

Keywords: adaptive immunity; innate immunity; microglia; neuroinflammation; virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Viruses use multiple routes to invade the central nervous system (CNS). Upon entry, the first immune response is initiated by resident microglia. Microglia respond to viral infections through morphological reactivity, proliferation, phagocytosis of infected cells, antigen presentation, and various receptor expressions. They release chemokines and cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, and interferon (IFN)-γ, which promote further innate and adaptive immune responses, including the regulation of T-cells. Microglia express various Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that recognize viruses and can trigger type-I IFN production, leading to the transcription of IFN-stimulated genes and regulating the antiviral immune response. As regulators of adaptive immunity in the CNS, microglia mediate T-cell responses. Antigen presentation by microglia is crucial for forming protective T-cell responses against infections or malignancies and for generating pathogenic, autoreactive T-cell responses in autoimmune conditions. The interaction between the T-cell receptor and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, which contain processed antigenic peptides, on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is essential for this process. Reactive microglia, functioning as APCs, share features with peripheral macrophages and are vital components of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Upon reactivity, microglia up-regulate MHC and co-stimulatory molecules, with MHC class I stimulating CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and MHC class II stimulating CD4+ T-helper cells. T-cell activation through antigen-presenting microglia can result in the production of IFN-γ and TNF, which further activate microglia to engulf healthy synapses post-infection. Despite the immune privilege of the CNS, viruses can induce autoimmune diseases through mechanisms such as bystander activation of autoreactive cells or molecular mimicry. Microglia contribute to demyelination, displaying both harmful and beneficial effects. Additionally, astrocytes and neurons regulate microglial function through various soluble factors, highlighting the importance of cellular interactions. PAMPs pathogen-associated molecular patterns; Created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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