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Microglia

2 GoKawiil briefs on this topic

University of Kentucky study restores mice sleep by targeting immune cells, not plaques

Researchers at the University of Kentucky found that temporarily depleting microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, restored more than two hours of sleep per day in mice with Alzheimer's-like brain changes, without removing amyloid plaques. The team, led by Shannon L. Macauley and first author Nicholas J. Constantino, published the findings in Alzheimer's & Dementia, showing mice also spent more time in deep, restorative sleep stages.

Study links Elp1 gene to myeloid cell development and microglia brain repopulation

Researchers report that the gene Elp1 is required for myeloid differentiation and for blood-derived cells to repopulate the brain as microglia-like cells. The findings draw on a growing body of work showing that transplanted hematopoietic cells can replace microglia in the central nervous system, a strategy already explored for treating genetic brain disorders in mice and humans.