title: Innate and adaptive immune responses in neurodegeneration and repair.
abstract: Emerging evidence suggests important roles of the innate and adaptive immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS) in neurodegenerative diseases. In this special review issue, five leading researchers discuss the evidence for the beneficial as well as the detrimental impact of the immune system in the CNS in disorders including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and CNS injury. Several common pathological mechanisms emerge indicating that these pathways could provide important targets for manipulating the immune reposes in neurodegenerative disorders. The articles highlight the role of the traditional resident immune cell of the CNS - the microglia - as well as the role of other glia astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in immune responses and their interplay with other immune cells including, mast cells, T cells and B cells. Future research should lead to new discoveries which highlight targets for therapeutic interventions which may be applicable to a range of neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Neuroimmunology Unit, Blizard Institute Bart's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amor
authors.forename: M Nicola
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Woodroofe
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
keywords: inflammation; innate immunity; multiple sclerosis; neuroimmunology; regulatory T cells