Multifaceted involvement of microglia in gray matter pathology in multiple sclerosis

Gray matter involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) is increasingly appreciated as a key aspect of pathology. Microglia, the resident parenchymal macrophages of the central nervous system, are extensively involved in many aspects of gray matter MS pathology. Microglia deliver context ‐dependent responses tailored to their microenvironment, allowing them to exert both detrimental and beneficial functions in MS gray matter. AbstractIn the inflammatory demyelinating neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS), there is increasing interest in gray matter pathology, as neuronal loss and cortical atrophy correlate with disability and disease progression, and MS therapeutics fail to significantly slow or stop neurodegeneration. Microglia, the central nervous system (CNS) ‐resident macrophages, are extensively involved in white matter MS pathology, but are also implicated in gray matter pathology, similarly to in other neurodegenerative diseases where there is synaptic, axonal, and neuronal degeneration. Microglia display regional heterogeneity within the CNS, whic h reflects their highly plastic nature and their ability to deliver context‐dependent responses tailored to the demands of their microenvironment. Therefore, microglial roles in the MS gray matter in part reflect and in part diverge from those in the white matter. The present review summarizes cur rent knowledge of microglial involvement in gray matter changes in MS, in demyelination, synaptic damage and neurode...
Source: Stem Cells - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Regenerative Medicine Source Type: research