Genetic manipulation of microglia during brain development and disease

09.10.2015

Wieghofer P, Prinz M.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016;1862(3):299-309

Biochim Biophys Acta.            online article

Microglia are unique cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and of particular importance for the development and homeostasis thereof. Recently, genetic manipulation of microglia in vivo has led to valuable insights about the origin of microglia and their behavior under steady-state conditions. Therefore, it is tempting to manipulate these cells under pathological conditions in vivo and thereby decipher their contribution to the outcome of frequent neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Furthermore, the hallmarks of neurological disease models and how genetic manipulation of microglia will expand our knowledge about the underlying disease mechanisms will be discussed.