Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (6): 1241-1248.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.385845

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Microglial response to aging and neuroinflammation in the development of neurodegenerative diseases

Tingting Han1, #, Yuxiang Xu1, #, Lin Sun1, 2, Makoto Hashimoto3, Jianshe Wei1, *   

  1. 1Institute for Brain Sciences Research, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan Province, China; 2College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan Province, China; 3Department of Basic Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
  • Online:2024-06-15 Published:2023-11-17
  • Contact: Jianshe Wei, MD, PhD, jswei@henu.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. 32161143021 and 81271410; and the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province of China, No. 182300410313 (all to JW). 

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Abstract: Cellular senescence and chronic inflammation in response to aging are considered to be indicators of brain aging; they have a great impact on the aging process and are the main risk factors for neurodegeneration. Reviewing the microglial response to aging and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases will help understand the importance of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases. This review describes the origin and function of microglia and focuses on the role of different states of the microglial response to aging and chronic inflammation on the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, and Parkinson’s disease. This review also describes the potential benefits of treating neurodegenerative diseases by modulating changes in microglial states. Therefore, inducing a shift from the neurotoxic to neuroprotective microglial state in neurodegenerative diseases induced by aging and chronic inflammation holds promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in the future.

Key words: aging, Alzheimer’s disease, cytokines, Huntington’s disease, microglia, neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, neuroprotection, neurotoxicity, Parkinson’s disease