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microglia
/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈɡlɪə /
noun
one of the two types of non-nervous tissue (glia) found in the central nervous system, having macrophage activity Compare macroglia
Example Sentences
Although these protective microglia appear in relatively small numbers, the study showed that they have a powerful influence across the brain.
Instead, a specific class of immune cells known as microglia appears to play a central role in determining whether mice show anxious behavior.
These specialized microglia also slow the buildup of amyloid plaques and the spread of toxic tau proteins, which are both major hallmarks of Alzheimer's.
The researchers found that amyloid deposits disrupted the normal rhythm of hundreds of genes in two key types of brain cells -- microglia and astrocytes.
In addition, the treated mice had healthier microglia -- specialized immune cells in the brain responsible for detecting and clearing damaged tissue.
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