What triggers microglia to remove brain debris?
Microglia have recently gained recognition for their neuroprotective function; now meet the molecule that makes it happen.
Researchers at University of Virginia Health System (VA, USA) have uncovered a molecule that plays an essential role in microglial function. Microglia have been found to clear brain debris, such as amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease and damaged myelin in multiple sclerosis. The current study demonstrated that when a molecule inside microglia, a kinase called SYK, is depleted, microglia don’t function properly, leading to a buildup of toxic debris and, eventually, neurodegeneration.
