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Brain Sciences
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The Function of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases
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The Function of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurodegenerative Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2022) | Viewed by 9302

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Helene Hirbec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Functional Genomics (IGF), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
Interests: immunohistochemistry; neurodegenerative diseases; microglia; nmda receptor; synaptosomes; microglial activation
Prof. Dr. Florence E. Perrin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
INSERM, Institut Universitaire de France, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Interests: transcriptomics; spinal cord injury; immunohistochemistry; neuron; MRI; motor behaviour; neuroinflammation; microglia; spinal cord

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microglia play key roles in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, neurotraumatic disorders, psychiatric pathologies, pathological pain, and CNS tumors. Although dysregulation of microglial functions is a shared and key feature in neurological disorders, we are just beginning to decrypt the disparity of microglial responses in CNS pathologies. 

In this Special Issue, we welcome studies focusing on:

  • The role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease;
  • The role of microglia in neurotraumatic disorders including spinal cord and brain injuries;
  • The role of microglia in psychiatric disease;
  • The role of microglia in pathological pain;
  • The role of microglia in CNS tumors;
  • The targeting of microglia function as a therapeutic strategy. 

We invite original research and review articles integrating basic and/or translational research reporting positive (but also negative) findings that reveal the roles of microglial cells in neuropathogenesis. Technical papers aimed at assessing microglia reaction are also welcomed. 

Dr. Helene Hirbec
Dr. Florence E. Perrin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Microglia
  • Neuroinflammation
  • Neurodegenerative diseases
  • Neurotraumatic injuries
  • CNS tumors

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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22 pages, 19077 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Ex Vivo and In Vitro Wnt Transcriptome Induced by Spinal Cord Injury in Rat Microglial Cells
by Carlos González-Fernández, Pau González, Francisco González-Pérez and Francisco Javier Rodríguez
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(6), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12060708 - 30 May 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2498
Abstract
It is well known that inflammation is crucial in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic central nervous system (CNS) injuries, and that microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) play a pivotal role in neuroinflammation. Therefore, the exploration of molecular signaling pathways [...] Read more.
It is well known that inflammation is crucial in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic central nervous system (CNS) injuries, and that microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) play a pivotal role in neuroinflammation. Therefore, the exploration of molecular signaling pathways that are involved in the microglia/macrophage response might help us to shed light on their eventual therapeutic modulation. Interestingly, there is growing evidence showing that the Wnt family of proteins is involved in different neuropathologies that are characterized by a dysregulated neuroinflammatory response, including spinal cord injury (SCI). Here, we aimed to validate a methodology with competence to assess the physiologically relevant Wnt expression patterns of active microglia and MDMs in a rat model of SCI. For that purpose, we have selected and adapted an in vitro system of primary microglia culture that were stimulated with a lesioned spinal cord extract (SCE), together with an ex vivo protocol of flow cytometry sorting of rat microglia/MDMs at different time-points after contusive SCI. Our study demonstrates that the expression profile of Wnt-related genes in microglia/MDM cells exhibit important differences between these particular scenarios which would be in line with previous studies where similar discrepancies have been described for other molecules. Moreover, our results provide for a first experimental report of the Wnt transcriptome in rat microglia and MDMs after SCI which, together with the research platform that was used in the study, and considering its limitations, we expect might contribute to foster the research on Wnt-driven immunomodulatory therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Function of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases)
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13 pages, 2365 KiB  
Article
Unlike Brief Inhibition of Microglia Proliferation after Spinal Cord Injury, Long-Term Treatment Does Not Improve Motor Recovery
by Gaëtan Poulen, Sylvain Bartolami, Harun N. Noristani, Florence E. Perrin and Yannick N. Gerber
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(12), 1643; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121643 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2734
Abstract
Microglia are major players in scar formation after an injury to the spinal cord. Microglia proliferation, differentiation, and survival are regulated by the colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1). Complete microglia elimination using CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors worsens motor function recovery after spinal injury (SCI). [...] Read more.
Microglia are major players in scar formation after an injury to the spinal cord. Microglia proliferation, differentiation, and survival are regulated by the colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1). Complete microglia elimination using CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors worsens motor function recovery after spinal injury (SCI). Conversely, a 1-week oral treatment with GW2580, a CSF1R inhibitor that only inhibits microglia proliferation, promotes motor recovery. Here, we investigate whether prolonged GW2580 treatment further increases beneficial effects on locomotion after SCI. We thus assessed the effect of a 6-week GW2580 oral treatment after lateral hemisection of the spinal cord on functional recovery and its outcome on tissue and cellular responses in adult mice. Long-term depletion of microglia proliferation after SCI failed to improve motor recovery and had no effect on tissue reorganization, as revealed by ex vivo diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Six weeks after SCI, GW2580 treatment decreased microglial reactivity and increased astrocytic reactivity. We thus demonstrate that increasing the duration of GW2580 treatment is not beneficial for motor recovery after SCI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Function of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases)
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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2625 KiB  
Article
A Core Transcription Regulatory Circuitry Defining Microglia Cell Identity Inferred from the Reanalysis of Multiple Human Microglia Differentiation Protocols
by Antoine Aubert, François Stüder, Bruno Maria Colombo and Marco Antonio Mendoza-Parra
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(10), 1338; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101338 - 11 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3034
Abstract
Microglia, the immune cells in the brain involved in both homeostasis and injury/infection control, play a predominant role in neurodegenerative diseases. In vivo studies on microglia are limited due to the requirement of surgical intervention, which can lead to the destruction of the [...] Read more.
Microglia, the immune cells in the brain involved in both homeostasis and injury/infection control, play a predominant role in neurodegenerative diseases. In vivo studies on microglia are limited due to the requirement of surgical intervention, which can lead to the destruction of the tissues. Over the last few years, multiple protocols—presenting a variety of strategies—have described microglia differentiation issued from human pluripotent stem cells. Herein, we have reanalyzed the transcriptomes released on six different microglia differentiation protocols and revealed a consensus core of master transcription regulatory circuitry defining microglia identity. Furthermore, we have discussed the major divergencies among the studied protocols and have provided suggestions to further enhance microglia differentiation assays. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Function of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases)
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