Neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

The role of microglial cells in neurodegenerative conditions is key to understanding the development and progression of the innate immune response during brain pathology. Although past and present research efforts have provided clues for understanding the contribution of microglia to neurodegeneration, the future offers new and exciting opportunities to study and modulate microglial biology in the degenerating brain. In this chapter we will summarize the main findings defining the role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases, both in experimental animal models of disease and in studies with human brain tissue samples. We will also review the technical limitations to the study of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases and discuss the possible further lines of research to be pursued. In summary, we aim to provide a comprehensive picture of the role of microglial cells in the development, progression, and possible treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, to help build on the recent progress in this exciting field of neuroscience.