Substrate Elasticity Exerts Functional Effects on Primary Microglia.

ABSTRACT: Microglia-the brain's primary immune cells-exert a tightly regulated cascade of pro- and anti-inflammatory effects upon brain pathology, either promoting regeneration or neurodegeneration. Therefore, harnessing microglia emerges as a potential therapeutic concept in neurological research. Recent studies suggest that-besides being affected by chemokines and cytokines-various cell entities in the brain relevantly respond to the mechanical properties of their microenvironment. For example, we lately reported considerable effects of elasticity on neural stem cells, regarding quiescence and differentiation potential. However, the effects of elasticity on microglia remain to be explored.Under the hypothesis that the elasticity of the microenvironment affects key characteristics and functions of

SUBMITTER: Blaschke SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7674555 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature