The human brain consists of many cell types. Each one plays a very different role in both the healthy and degenerating brain. Neurons provide what we generally call brain power. The signals they transmit throughout the body allow us to think and react. Microglia, known as the resident immune cells of the brain, have multiple responsibilities, including sustenance, structure, protection, and waste removal.
Not surprisingly, neurons and microglia are both impacted by the degenerative changes that are associated with brain disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease. But, how those manifestations differ between the two cell types, is not well understood. How microglia are affected remains particularly understudied. Shedding light on these questions would have important implications for Alzheimer’s disease research.
