Advanced therapeutic strategies targeting microglia: beyond neuroinflammation

For a long time, microglia have been recognized as the main culprits of neuroinflammatory responses because they are primary phagocytes present in the parenchyma of the central nervous system (CNS). However, with the evolving concept of microglial biology, advanced and precise approaches, rather than the global inhibition of activated microglia, have been proposed in the management of neurological disorders. Yolk sac-derived resident microglia have heterogeneous composition according to brain region, sex, and diseases. They play a key role in the maintenance of CNS homeostasis and as primary phagocytes. The perturbation of microglia development can induce neurodevelopmental disorders. Microglia aggravate or alleviate neuroinflammation according to microenvironment and their spatiotemporal dynamics. They are long-lived cells and repopulate via their proliferation or external monocyte engraft. Based on this evolving concept, understanding advanced therapeutic strategies targeting microglia can give us an opportunity to discover novel therapies for neurological disorders.