title: Targeting microglial K(ATP) channels to treat neurodegenerative diseases: a mitochondrial issue.
abstract: Neurodegeneration is a complex process involving different cell types and neurotransmitters. A common characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders is the occurrence of a neuroinflammatory reaction in which cellular processes involving glial cells, mainly microglia and astrocytes, are activated in response to neuronal death. Microglia do not constitute a unique cell population but rather present a range of phenotypes closely related to the evolution of neurodegeneration. In a dynamic equilibrium with the lesion microenvironment, microglia phenotypes cover from a proinflammatory activation state to a neurotrophic one directly involved in cell repair and extracellular matrix remodeling. At each moment, the microglial phenotype is likely to depend on the diversity of signals from the environment and of its response capacity. As a consequence, microglia present a high energy demand, for which the mitochondria activity determines the microglia participation in the neurodegenerative process. As such, modulation of microglia activity by controlling microglia mitochondrial activity constitutes an innovative approach to interfere in the neurodegenerative process. In this review, we discuss the mitochondrial KATP channel as a new target to control microglia activity, avoid its toxic phenotype, and facilitate a positive disease outcome.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, UB, E 08036 Barcelona, Spain. marodriguez@ub.edu
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Moreno
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; C117780:mitochondrial K(ATP) channel