Macrophages Mediate Mesoscale Brain Mechanical Homeostasis.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical cues orchestrate cellular behavior in the brain, yet how they interface with immune regulation remains unresolved. Here, gigahertz-frequency Brillouin microscopy with optical trap-based active microrheology is integrated to map the mechanical impact of macrophage activity across timescales. It is revealed that microglia, brain's resident macrophages, actively sustain tissue viscoelasticity, rather than quiescently residing within the tissues under normal conditions. Moreover, macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (csf1r)-driven stromal remodeling alters brain mechanical properties in vivo. These findings establish a direct link between immune activity, viscoelastic integrity, and structural plasticity of neural tissue. By bridging high-frequency material responses with

SUBMITTER: So WY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12848650 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature