Harnessing macrophages to control CNS pathologies

[natasa778]

Harnessing monocyte-derived macrophages to control central nervous system pathologies: no longer ‘if’ but ‘how’

... infiltrating macrophages were traditionally viewed as an enemy of
the nervous system. However, over the past two decades, research has
revealed the pivotal role of monocyte-derived macrophages in CNS repair,
and opened up a new era in understanding and treating CNS pathologies.
Here, we gather current knowledge regarding macrophage broad spectrum of
activities in the CNS, whose two poles correspond to the classical
pro-inflammatory M1 and the ‘alternatively-activated’ M2 cells
previously described in various non-CNS pathologies, and their diverse,
multi-functional contribution in various neurological conditions,
ranging from acute traumas to neurodegenerative disorders, and
autoimmune diseases.
...
Taken together, these recent advances reveal a dramatic therapeutic
opportunity for controlled harnessing of macrophages for repair of the
damaged CNS following acute insults, in neurodegenerative conditions,
and in psychiatric disorders.

 

[Sherlock]

diverse, multi-functional

No truer words have been spoken.