title: [Microglia in pathophysiology of neuroimmunological disorders].
abstract: Microglia are innate immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS). They function as antigen-presenting cells (APC) and inflammatory cells to cause various neuroimmunological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. Upon activation by either bacterial lipopolysaccharide, T cell-derived cytokines, phagocytosis of neural debris, or factors from injured neurons, microglia acquire full characteristics of APC, and produce a variety of soluble factors, including proinflammatory factors, neurotoxic factors and neurotrophic factors. These factors affect neuronal, glial and endothelial cell functions. Thus, they are believed to play a predominant role in the development of neuroimmunological disorders as APC and effector cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimmunology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzumura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D020274:Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002450:Cell Communication; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines