Journal Article

Imaging Microglial Activation During Neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease

Wiley, Clayton A., Venneti, Sriram, Kofler, Julia

2009

Overview

Microglial activation is an important pathogenic component of neurodegenerative disease processes. This state of increased inflammation is associated not only with neurotoxic consequences but also neuroprotective effects, e.g., phagocytosis and clearance of amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, activation of microglia appears to be one of the major mechanisms of amyloid clearance following active or passive immunotherapy. Imaging techniques may provide a minimally invasive tool to elucidate the complexities and dynamics of microglial function and dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Imaging microglia in vivo in live subjects by confocal or two/multiphoton microscopy offers the advantage of studying these cells over time in their native environment. Imaging microglia in human subjects by positron emission tomography scanning with translocator protein-18 kDa ligands can offer a measure of the inflammatory process and a means of detecting progression of disease and efficacy of therapeutics over time.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Alzheimer Disease - immunology / Alzheimer Disease - metabolism / Alzheimer Disease - pathology / Animals / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Brain - immunology / Brain - metabolism / Brain - pathology / Cell Biology / Diagnostic Imaging - methods / Disease / Humans / Immunology / Inflammation - immunology / Invited Review / Medical imaging / Microglia - immunology / Microglia - metabolism / Neurosciences / Pharmacology/Toxicology / Virology