Neurobiology of Disease (Nov 2024)

The role of microglia in neurological diseases with involvement of extracellular vesicles

  • Haotian Xie,
  • Feifeng Wu,
  • Jueyi Mao,
  • Yang Wang,
  • Junquan Zhu,
  • Xin Zhou,
  • Kimsor Hong,
  • Binbin Li,
  • Xinying Qiu,
  • Chuan Wen

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 202
p. 106700

Abstract

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As a subset of mononuclear phagocytes in the central nervous system, microglia play a crucial role in immune defense and homeostasis maintenance. Microglia can regulate their states in response to specific signals of health and pathology. Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, neurological damage and neurological tumors, underscoring its key immunoregulatory role in these conditions. Intriguingly, a substantial body of research has indicated that extracellular vesicles can mediate intercellular communication by transporting cargoes from parental cells, a property that is also reflected in microenvironmental signaling networks involving microglia. Based on the microglial characteristics, we briefly outline the biological features of extracellular vesicles and focus on summarizing the integrative role played by microglia in the maintenance of nervous system homeostasis and progression of different neurological diseases. Extracellular vesicles may engage in the homeostasis maintenance and pathological process as a medium of intercellular communication. Here, we aim to provide new insights for further exploration of neurological disease pathogenesis, which may provide theoretical foundations for cell-free therapies.

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