The role of microglia in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Chun Luo,1 Chongdong Jian,1 Yuhan Liao,1 Qi Huang,1 Yuejuan Wu,1 Xixia Liu,1 Donghua Zou,2 Yuan Wu1 1Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 2Department of Neurology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and The First People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia are the resident innate immune cells in the CNS; they play an important role in the processes of demyelination and remyelination in MS. Microglia can function as antigen-presenting cells and phagocytes. In the past, microglia were considered to be the same cell type as macrophages, and researchers have different opinions about the role of microglia in MS. This review focuses on the original classification of microglia and their role in the pathogenesis of MS. Moreover, we present a hypothetical model for the role of microglia in the pathogenesis of MS based on recent findings. Keywords: microglia, multiple sclerosis, macrophage, myelin

Keywords

• microglia
• multiple sclerosis
• macrophage
• myelin
• central nervous system
• pathogenesis