Colony stimulating factors in the nervous system

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Immunology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) traditionally regulate blood cell formation.
• Emerging evidence highlights CSFs' critical roles in the central nervous system (CNS), impacting both health and disease.
• Microglia, the resident immune cells of the CNS, are key targets of CSF actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the cellular sources, expression patterns, and physiological functions of CSFs in the nervous system.
• To focus on the specific actions of macrophage (CSF-1, IL-34), granulocyte-macrophage (GM-CSF), and granulocyte (G-CSF) colony-stimulating factors on microglia.
• To discuss alterations in CSF expression in neurological diseases and the therapeutic potential of targeting these pathways.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on CSFs and their receptors in the nervous system.
• Analysis of CSF expression and function in both physiological and pathological conditions.
• Examination of therapeutic strategies targeting CSFs in preclinical models and human studies.

Main Results:

• CSF-1 and IL-34, acting through CSF-1R, are essential for microglia development, proliferation, and maintenance in a region- and time-specific manner.
• GM-CSF and G-CSF primarily regulate microglial function during steady-state conditions.
• Changes in CSF and receptor expression are observed in various neurological disorders.

Conclusions:

• CSFs play diverse and critical roles in regulating microglia throughout the CNS.
• Understanding CSF involvement in neurological diseases opens avenues for novel therapeutic interventions.
• Targeting CSF pathways holds promise for treating a range of CNS conditions.