Role and research progress of microglia in multiple sclerosis /experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Abstract:

Multiple sclerosis （MS） is an autoimmune disease that occurs in the central nervous system（CNS），with main pathological features of inflammatory response， myelin degeneration， and gliosis. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis（EAE） has been widely recognized as an ideal animal model for studying the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of MS due to its similar pathological features and clinical manifestations. Although CD4⁺ T cell-mediated autoimmunity plays a central role in the pathological process of MS/EAE， microglia （MG） as a “bridge” between CNS and the immune system has received more and more attention. In addition to the classical pathways of antigen presentation and cytokine secretion， it is proved that MG can participate in the pathological process of MS/EAE through myelin internalization and activation of intracellular NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3（NLRP3） inflammasome. This article reviewed the role and progress of MG in MS/EAE.