title: Alternatively activated microglia and macrophages in the central nervous system.
abstract: Macrophages are important players in the fight against viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. From a resting state they may undertake two activation pathways, the classical known as M1, or the alternative known as M2. M1 markers are mostly mediators of pro-inflammatory responses whereas M2 markers emerge for resolution and cleanup. Microglia exerts in the central nervous system (CNS) a function similar to that of macrophages in the periphery. Microglia activation and proliferation occurs in almost any single pathology affecting the CNS. Often microglia activation has been considered detrimental and drugs able to stop microglia activation were considered for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Cumulative evidence shows that microglia may undergo the alternative activation pathway, express M2-type markers and contribute to neuroprotection. This review focuses on details about the role of M2 microglia and in the approaches available for its identification. Approaches to drive the M2 phenotype and data on its potential in CNS diseases are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red: Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain. Electronic address: rfranco@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: diana.fernandez.suarez@ki.se.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fernández-Suárez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids
keywords: Cannabinoids; M1; M2; Neuroinflammation; Neuroprotection