Dementia Japan 28:205-210, 2014

The role of microglia in neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease

Tetsuya Mizuno

Department of Neuroimmunology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University

    Microglia have a biphasic neurotoxic-neuroprotective role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).  In neurotoxic properties, microglia are involved in the inflammatory component of AD.Amyloid β (Aβ) may activate microglia and induce various neurotoxic molecules in microglia.  However, the precise mechanism is unknown.  Aβ promotes the processing of pro-interleukin (IL)-1β into mature IL-1β in microglia primed with LPS via NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), which then enhances microglial neurotoxicity.  In neuroprotective properties, microglia treated with CpG-ODN or IL-34 attenuate Aβ neurotoxicity by Aβ clearance and the production of antioxidant enzyme HO-1.  Therefore, regulation of the microglial role in neuroprotection may be a useful therapeutic strategy for AD.

Address correspondence to Dr. Tetsuya Mizuno, Department of Neuroimmunology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University(Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan)