Regenerative roles of microglia and macrophages in the central nervous system Event

Abstract: The prime example of effective regeneration in the central nervous system is that of remyelination, whereby re-ensheathment of axons with myelin restores electrical impulse conduction and trophic/ metabolic support. Remyelination fails in a multitude of neurological disorders, which is considered to contribute to the axonal damage/ loss correlating to clinical decline. The lack of approved therapies promoting remyelination highlights the need to elucidate the underpinning mechanisms. Our work investigates the regenerative role of microglia and macrophages in supporting remyelination, in terms of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating their activation, identification of the regenerative factors they produce, and delineating distinction and complementarity in function compared to monocyte-derived macrophages.