Microglia and brain macrophages in the molecular age: from origin to neuropsychiatric disease

09.04.2014

Prinz M, Priller J.

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014;15(5):300-12

Nat Rev Neurosci.       online article

Mononuclear phagocytic cells in the CNS used to be defined according to their anatomical location and surface marker expression. Recently, this concept has been challenged by the results of developmental and gene expression profiling
studies that have used novel molecular biological tools to unravel the origin of microglia and to define their role as specialized tissue macrophages with long lifespans. Here, we describe how these results have redefined microglia and
helped us to understand how different myeloid cell populations operate in the CNS based on their cell-specific gene expression signatures, distinct ontogeny and differential functions.