Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation is inflammation of the nervous tissue. It may be initiated in response to a variety of cues, including infection, traumatic brain injury,[1] toxic metabolites, or autoimmunity.[2] In the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord, microglia are the resident innate immune cells that are activated in response to these cues.[2] The CNS is typically an immunologically privileged site because peripheral immune cells are generally blocked by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a specialized structure composed of astrocytes and endothelial cells.[3] However, circulating peripheral immune cells may surpass a compromised BBB and encounter neurons and glial cells expressing major histocompatibility complex molecules, perpetuating the immune response.[4] Although the response is initiated to protect the central nervous system from the infectious agent, the effect may be toxic and widespread inflammation as well as further migration of leukocytes through the blood–brain barrier may occur.[2]

  1. ^ Ebert SE, Jensen P, Ozenne B, Armand S, Svarer C, Stenbaek DS et al. Molecular imaging of neuroinflammation in patients after mild traumatic brain injury: a longitudinal 123 I-CLINDE SPECT study. Eur J Neurol 2019. doi:10.1111/ene.13971.
  2. ^ a b c Gendelman HE (December 2002). "Neural immunity: Friend or foe?". Journal of Neurovirology. 8 (6): 474–9. doi:10.1080/13550280290168631. PMID 12476342. S2CID 15631988.
  3. ^ Das Sarma J (April 2014). "Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is an amplifier of virus-induced neuropathology". Journal of Neurovirology. 20 (2): 122–36. doi:10.1007/s13365-013-0188-4. PMID 23979705. S2CID 15223990.
  4. ^ 't Hart BA, den Dunnen WF (September 2013). "Commentary on special issue: CNS diseases and the immune system". Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. 8 (4): 757–9. doi:10.1007/s11481-013-9486-0. PMID 23754135. S2CID 116074482.