Microglial Cells Function in the Central Nervous System: Beyond the Immune Function

The Discovery And Definition Of Microglia

Microglial cells are well known by their role in regulating immune system function in the CNS (Peferoen et al., 2014a). In 1932, Pio del Rio-Hortega wrote a book chapter titled “Microglia” for the influential book Cytology and Cellular Pathology of the Nervous System, edited by Wilder Penfield. This chapter popularized the idea of microglia as a recognized cellular component of the CNS. Del Rio-Hortega made the following assertions: 1) during early development, microglia penetrate the developing brain. 2) The mesodermal origin of these invasive cells is indicated by their amoeboid shape. 3) They migrate throughout all parts of the brain using arteries and white matter tracts as guidance structures. 4) In the more developed brain, they change into a branching, ramified morphological pattern that is now referred to be the resting microglia. 6) Each cell appears to have a specific area to it. 7) Following a pathogenic occurrence, these cells transform. 8) Transformed cells take on an amoeboid shape that resembles that seen in the early stages of development. 9) These cells have the ability to move, multiply, and phagocytize (Helmut et al., 2011).