Cited by 236Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsInflammasome and immune disordersNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

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Microglia in the aging brain: relevance to neurodegeneration

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Luo, Xiao-Guang, Ding, Jian-Qing, Chen, Sheng-Di·2010·Molecular Neurodegeneration

DOI 10.1186/1750-1326-5-12PMC PMC2852379

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Abstract

Microglia cells are the brain counterpart of macrophages and function as the first defense in the brain. Although they are neuroprotective in the young brain, microglia cells may be primed to react abnormally to stimuli in the aged brain and to become neurotoxic and destructive during neurodegeneration. Aging-induced immune senescence occurs in the brain as age-associated microglia senescence, which renders microglia to function abnormally and may eventually promote neurodegeneration. Microglia senescence is manifested by both morphological changes and alterations in immunophenotypic expression and inflammatory profile. These changes are likely caused by microinvironmental factors, but intrinsic factors cannot yet be completely excluded. Microglia senescence appears to underlie the switching of microglia from neuroprotective in the young brain to neurotoxic in the aged brain. The hypothesis of microglia senescence during aging offers a novel perspective on their roles in aging-related neurodegeneration. In Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, over-activation of microglia may play an active role in the pathogenesis because microglia senescence primes them to be neurotoxic during the development of the diseases.

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Figure 1 Age-primed microglia hypothesis of Parkinson's disease. Microglia functions differentially in the substantia nigra of the young (left) and aged (right) brain. Left: When facing pathogenic stimuli (large black dots), the healthy microglia in the young brain respond by releasing neurotrophic factors (small yellow dots) to support the endangered dopaminergic neurons and limit neuronal damages. Right: In the aged brain the microglia are primed with aging and function abnormally. When exposed to pathogenic stimuli, they are overactivated and release excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory factors (small black dots), which damage the vulnerable dopaminergic neurons and eventually lead to neurodegeneration.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Authors: Luo, X.-G., Ding, J.-Q., & Chen, S.-D.
Venue: Molecular Neurodegeneration
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2010-03-24
Volume: 5
Issue: 1
Pages: 12-12
ISSN: 1750-1326 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-5-12
PMC: PMC2852379
OpenAlex: W2156427445
Cited by: 236
References: 85
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 15
FWCI: 10.86
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
Locations: Molecular Neurodegeneration (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Inflammasome and immune disorders
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords: microglia, brain aging, neurodegeneration, microglial senescence, immunosenescence, neuroinflammation, neuroprotection, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, microglial activation, neurotoxicity

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Microglia in the aging brain: relevance to neurodegeneration

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