Bidirectional interactions between temperature and microglia: Implications for brain function and disease
1Department of Translational Neurobiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-machi, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
Neuroscience Research
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Microglia, the brain's immune cells, are sensitive to temperature changes, affecting their function. Understanding this temperature-microglia interaction is crucial for brain health and potential therapies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Temperature significantly impacts central nervous system physiology and pathology.
- Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, exhibit high sensitivity to thermal fluctuations.
- Evidence suggests temperature influences microglial motility, inflammatory signaling, and phagocytosis via thermosensitive ion channels and biophysical mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the bidirectional relationship between temperature and microglial biology.
- To discuss temperature-dependent microglial responses and their underlying mechanisms.
- To explore temperature dynamics in physiological and pathological brain conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental evidence on temperature effects on microglia.
- Analysis of advances in intracellular thermometry and thermal measurement.
- Examination of potential therapeutic interventions related to temperature-microglia interactions.
Main Results:
- Temperature modulates key microglial functions, including motility, inflammation, and phagocytosis.
- Thermosensitive ion channels and broader biophysical mechanisms are involved in temperature sensing by microglia.
- Intracellular thermometry reveals potential for local heat generation and propagation within brain cells.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between temperature and microglia is bidirectional and complex.
- Further research into microglial heat generation and regulation is warranted.
- Understanding temperature-microglia interactions may offer novel therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.
