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Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Microglia Research on Spinal Cord Heterogeneity and Purification
Published on: September 22, 2023
Differences of Microglia in the Brain and the Spinal Cord
Fang-Ling Xuan1, Keerthana Chithanathan1, Kersti Lilleväli1
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Abstract:
Microglia were previously regarded as a homogenous myeloid cell lineage in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). However, accumulating evidences show that microglia in the brain and SC are quite different in development, cellular phenotypes and biological functions. Although this is a very interesting phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms and its significance for neurological diseases in association with behavioral and cognitive changes are still unclear. How microglia differ between these two regions and whether such diversity may contribute to CNS development and functions as well as neurological diseases will be discussed in this Perspective.
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