Microglial subtypes: diversity within the microglial community

Microglia are brain-resident macrophages forming the first active immune barrier in the central nervous system. They fulfill multiple functions across development and adulthood and under disease conditions. Current understanding revolves around microglia acquiring distinct phenotypes upon exposure to extrinsic cues in their environment. However, emerging evidence suggests that microglia display differences in their functions that are not exclusively driven by their milieu, rather by the unique properties these cells possess. This microglial intrinsic heterogeneity has been largely overlooked, favoring the prevailing view that microglia are a single-cell type endowed with spectacular plasticity, allowing them…

• SC
  Swedish Cancer Foundation
• MD
  Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades

  Awards: RTI2018-098645-B-100, FEDER/UE RTI2018-098645-B-100, RTI2018
• C
  Cancerfonden
• H
  Hjärnfonden
• KI
  Karolinska Institutet
• V
  Vetenskapsrådet
• SJ
  Sigrid Juséliuksen Säätiö
• B
  Barncancerfonden