Dear All

This Thursday, 20th May, 3 pm, Prof. Bożena Kamińska who leads the Laboratory of of Molecular Neurobiology, will give a lecture entitled: Unraveling functions of microglia and brain macrophages in stroke, brain tumors and depression 

Abstract

The central nervous system (CNS) macrophages encompass microglia and CNS border-associated macrophages (BAMs) which are the resident CNS immune cells. Lineage tracing and gene expression profiling studies provided evidence regarding distinct ontogeny of microglia and BAMs than other tissue macrophages and showed a pivotal role these cells play in health and disease. Microglia rapidly react to the changes in their microenvironment. This plasticity is attributed to the ability of microglia to adapt a context-specific phenotype. Numerous previous studies of CNS immune cells did not permit a clear dissection of immune subpopulations in the diseased brain and characterization of their phenotypes. These difficulties were evident in diseases when peripheral macrophages of the immune system infiltrate into the damaged brain and perform specific functions. Only recent transcription profiling studies of sorted immune subpopulations combined with advances in single-cell technologies, that allow studying myeloid cells at high resolution, revealed a spectrum of discrete states both under homeostatic and pathological conditions. These studies demonstrated the unforeseen heterogeneity of microglia and immune infiltrates in brain pathologies: neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, brain tumors and depression. I will summarize the findings from those studies and the current state of knowledge about a functional diversity of microglia under physiological and pathological conditions. A precise definition of functions and phenotypes of microglia and infiltrating macrophages may be essential to design future immune-modulating therapies.

Nencki Seminar

https://zoom.us/j/96617290469?pwd=aEpqc25rc1JKZFVBRVFZM0h1ZzA2Zz09

Meeting ID: 966 1729 0469
Passcode: 316107

Best regards
Aleksandra