Depletion of microglia augments the dopaminergic neurotoxicity of MPTP

What is it about?

Microglia are involved in the pathological development of Parkinson's disease (PD), but their precise role in PD remains poorly understood. In this study, Yang et al. show that elimination of microglia exacerbates the loss of dopamine neurons in a mouse model of PD. Depletion of microglia results in augmented production of inflammatory mediators in the brain and infiltration of leukocytes. These findings suggest a protective role of microglia to restrict brain inflammation and the loss of dopamine neurons in PD.

Featured Image