title: Modulators of microglia: a patent review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microglia are highly dynamic immune cells that play a key role in the development, hemostasis and inflammatory response of the central nervous system. These cells could be a valid therapeutic target because of their involvement in the inflammatory scenario in many neuropathological diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Many attempts have aimed to act on microglial cells through different approaches, for instance as viral carriers to transfer genetic material, anti-inflammatory drugs to polarize and shift microglia from M1 toward an M2 phenotype, and stem cell therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The challenge remains to find ways to act selectively on this population in the inflammatory site. Original approaches are genetic targeting or pharmacological therapies that exploit some nanomaterials to deliver promising compounds. These results strongly encourage work aimed to modulate activated microglia, laying the base for treating many neurological diseases.
authors.affiliation: a IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri , Department of Neuroscience , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.affiliation: a IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri , Department of Neuroscience , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.affiliation: b Politecnico di Milano , Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: a IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri , Department of Neuroscience , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veglianese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D049329:Nanostructures; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010330:Patents as Topic; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Microglia; central nervous system; inflammation; patent; spinal cord