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Updated: May 5, 2026
Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates
Published on: January 30, 2014
Repopulation of microglia and its implications for CNS disorders: Insights from the single-cell era
Cong Chen1, Guanjia Qiao2, Dantong Tang1
1Department of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Neurological Disease Big Data of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China; Shenyang Clinical Medical Research Center for Difficult and Serious Diseases of the Nervous System, China.
Abstract:
Microglia, as resident macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS), have been the focus of the scientific community. The pace of exploration in the origin and development of microglia, though tortuous, never stops. Since colony-stimulating factor receptor 1 (CSF1R) inhibitors can achieve effective depletion of microglia and the repopulated microglia can be comparable to the controls, the therapeutic potential of this repopulation has prompted increasing attention and investigation. Meanwhile, single-cell sequencing technology (scRNA-seq) revealed cell fate determination and cell heterogeneity of microglia during development, homeostasis, and pathological states, identifying various functional subpopulations, including disease-associated microglia (DAM), neurodegenerative microglia (MGnD), and others. Thus, novel therapeutic values are bestowed on the repopulated microglia given their strong self-renewal capacity and highly proliferative and migratory abilities. In this paper, we first provide a comprehensive summary of the exploration process concerning the origin, development, repopulation, and heterogeneity of microglia. Moreover, we emphasize the implications of microglial repopulation in CNS disorders in the era of single-cell to enhance the understanding of microglial repopulation and provide more insights for new therapeutic strategies.
Insights
Microglia repopulation strategies, targeting colony-stimulating factor receptor 1 (CSF1R) inhibitors, show therapeutic potential for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Single-cell sequencing reveals microglial heterogeneity and self-renewal capacity for novel treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are crucial for brain health and disease.
- Understanding microglial origin, development, and heterogeneity is key to developing effective CNS therapies.
- Colony-stimulating factor receptor 1 (CSF1R) inhibitors offer a method for microglial depletion and subsequent repopulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review the origin, development, repopulation dynamics, and heterogeneity of microglia.
- To highlight the therapeutic potential of microglial repopulation in central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
- To integrate findings from single-cell sequencing technologies to understand microglial function in health and disease.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on microglial biology and therapeutic strategies.
- Analysis of studies utilizing colony-stimulating factor receptor 1 (CSF1R) inhibitors for microglial manipulation.
- Integration of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data to characterize microglial subpopulations.
Main Results:
- CSF1R inhibitors enable effective microglial depletion, with repopulated microglia exhibiting comparable function to controls.
- Single-cell sequencing reveals diverse microglial subpopulations, including disease-associated microglia (DAM) and neurodegenerative microglia (MGnD).
- Repopulated microglia possess significant self-renewal, proliferative, and migratory capacities, suggesting therapeutic value.
Conclusions:
- Microglial repopulation holds significant promise for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
- Understanding microglial heterogeneity via single-cell technologies is vital for advancing therapeutic strategies.
- Further research into microglial repopulation mechanisms can unlock novel treatment avenues for neurological diseases.
