Investigation of the protectors of our brain

-Ayooshi Mitra, Amity University, Kolkata

Just like the military is important for our protection from enemies, similarly, the organ systems in our body, also need protection. The frontline warriors of most of our organ systems are the immune cells that are present in our circulation. The exception is the brain.

In a recent study conducted by Florent Ginhoux and his team, there was an important discovery made in this field. Two distinct subgroups of macrophages were discovered. According to the researchers, it is a common misconception of people to think that all the macrophages of the brain are the same. But studies have shown that different types of macrophages are present in the brain, and they have different functions as well. The researchers identified microglia, found in the tissue of the brain of a mouse model, and the second type of cell called border-associated macrophages (BAMs). The BAMs were found to be present on the membrane surrounding the brain. Previously, these two types of cells were thought to be the same, but the new data proved otherwise. Microglia and BAMs develop into distinct pathways during the initial stages of brain development, with only microglia requiring TGF-β to develop. Another major difference is that BAMs are more important for the immune function of the brain.

The brain is protected from the immune cells to avoid immune responses which can be potentially dangerous. Although, there are some particular guards in the form of cells, that are important for the proper working of the neurological processes. These guards are macrophages that reside in the brain. They have the responsibility of reviewing the starting phase of neural activity and jump to action when sensing tissue damage. They also play an important role in the development of the fetal brain. Due to these reasons, these macrophages have been the center of many studies.

Source:1. https://www.labroots.com/trending/immunology/19902/immune-guardians-brain-discovered

2. Utz, S. G., See, P., Mildenberger, W., Thion, M. S., Silvin, A., Lutz, M., … &Greter, M. (2020). Early fate defines microglia and non-parenchymal brain macrophage development. Cell, 181(3), 557-573.

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