Microglia and prion disease, a review

Abstract

t'rioii <lisciiscs are cIi;iractcrizc<l hy tlie i ~ c c t i r ~ i i i l i ~otfi l~'~r~l i~ ~~I~IiI,i l tcrid iscifirrni (11' ii iitrriiiiil cclluliir ~irrrtciii, I'rP? 'L'llic prioii Iiypotlicsis Iiiiltls tli;it tlic ~iromss~ lcoiiloriniitioiiiicl haiigc fii>iiiI >rPCto ~ r l > ~ " iiiidcr tlic i n l l i i c i i c c o f l ' r ~ > ~c«"i islitiites thc hasic iiifcclioiis iiiccli;iiiisni iii prioii tliscascs. I t is s t i l l iiiikiiown \vlictlicr p a l l i o l ~ i g i c a l cliiiiigcs iii tlicsc (lisc;iscs, wliiclr iiicliitlc spongii'oini dcgeiicialioii, iicrvc ccll !oss iirid gliosis, iirc tlic rcstilt 01' ~ieuroioxicity 01 k'rPS", loss of f i i i i c t i o i i iif I'rPC or soiiie otlier mccli;rriisin. I<ccciit i~i i~itt.o Ciodirigs iisiiig ii syiitlictic pcptidc of hiim;iii PrI'5itiplicatc iiiicir>gli;i iis ;i iiiitliiiior of palliologicel chiiiiges. Tlie iiiccliaiiisiii IIt~hc toxicity oí' tliis pcpti(lc iiivolvcs ncliviitioii oC microgli;~, oxi<l;itivc slrcss, niitl dirccl iiitcriiclioirs willr I'rl'c-syi~tl~esiziirg iiciiroiics tliiit rcdticc thcir :ihility to cope witli oxidstivc stress. Microglis tliiis sccrii 11) ciiicrgc iis ii iiic<li;itor of iicriroii;il dcgciicrnlioii i i i i c l ccll tlciillr iii pi-ioii iliscirscs.