Attack! Silent watchmen charge to defend the nervous system
In many pathologies of the nervous system, there is a common event - cells called microglia are activated from surveillant watchmen into fighters. Microglia are the immune cells of the nervous system, ingesting and destroying pathogens and damaged nerve cells. Until now little was known about the molecular mechanisms of microglia activation despite this being a critical process in the body. Now new research from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro - at McGill University provides the first evidence that mechanisms regulated by the Runx1 gene control the balance between the surveillant versus activated microglia states. The finding, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, has significant implications for understanding and treating neurological conditions.
