title: Microglia under psychosocial stressors along the aging trajectory: Consequences on neuronal circuits, behavior, and brain diseases.
abstract: Mounting evidence indicates the importance of microglia for proper brain development and function, as well as in complex stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive decline along the aging trajectory. Considering that microglia are resident immune cells of the brain, a homeostatic maintenance of their effector functions that impact neuronal circuitry, such as phagocytosis and secretion of inflammatory factors, is critical to prevent the onset and progression of these pathological conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms by which microglial functions can be properly regulated under healthy and pathological conditions are still largely unknown. We aim to summarize recent progress regarding the effects of psychosocial stress and oxidative stress on microglial phenotypes, leading to neuroinflammation and impaired microglia-synapse interactions, notably through our own studies of inbred mouse strains, and most importantly, to discuss about promising therapeutic strategies that take advantage of microglial functions to tackle such brain disorders in the context of adult psychosocial stress or aging-induced oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland; Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: li.tian@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Chin Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Kanchan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bisht
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Kaushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders and Center of Schizophrenia, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: marie-eve.tremblay@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000473:pathology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Aging; Inflammation; Microglia-neuron interactions; Oxidative stress; Psychosocial stress