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Published online before print November 21, 2008
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© by The Society for Leukocyte Biology
Journal of Leukocyte Biology, doi:10.1189/jlb.0608385

Received for publication June 26, 2008.
Revised October 23, 2008.
Accepted for publication October 27, 2008.

Article

Microglia: gatekeepers of central nervous system immunology

Bart R. Tambuyzer *{dagger}@, Peter Ponsaerts {dagger}, and Etienne J. Nouwen *

*Laboratory of Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, and {dagger}Laboratory of Experimental Haematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Belgium

@ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bart.tambuyzer{at}ua.ac.be.


  Abstract

Microglia are perhaps the most underestimated cell type of our immune system. Not only were immunologists unaware of their capabilities until recently, but also, some neuroscientists denied their actual existence until the late 20th century. Nowadays, their presence is confirmed extensively, as demonstrated by numerous reports describing their involvement in virtually all neuropathologies. However, despite distinct approaches, their origin remains a point of controversy. Although many agree about their myeloid-monocytic ancestry, the precise progenitor cells and the differentiation mechanisms, which give rise to microglia in the different developmental stages of the CNS, are not unraveled yet. Mostly, this can be attributed to their versatile phenotype. Indeed, microglia show a high morphological plasticity, which is related to their functional state. This review about microglia aims to introduce the reader extensively into their ontogeny, cell biology, and involvement in different neuropathologies.

Key Words: review • immune function • activation • neuropathology






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