Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) harbors its own immune system composed of microglia in the parenchyma and CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs) in the perivascular space, leptomeninges, dura mater, and choroid plexus. Recent advances in understanding the CNS resident immune cells gave new insights into development, maturation and function of its immune guard. Microglia and CAMs undergo essential steps of differentiation and maturation triggered by environmental factors as well as intrinsic transcriptional programs throughout embryonic and postnatal development. These shaping steps allow the macrophages to adapt to their specific physiological function as first line of defense of the CNS and its interfaces. During infancy, the CNS might be targeted by a plethora of different pathogens which can cause severe tissue damage with potentially long reaching defects. Therefore, an efficient immune response of infant CNS macrophages is required even at these early stages to clear the infections but may also lead to detrimental consequences for the developing CNS. Here, we highlight the recent knowledge of the infant CNS immune system during embryonic and postnatal infections and the consequences for the developing CNS.
Highlights
During fetal and postnatal development the central nervous system (CNS) is constantly rearranged to construct and elaborate neuronal circuits needed to fulfill complex neuronal tasks later in life [1]
In vitro data showed that infected human induced pluripotent stem cell- derived microglia-like cells co-cultured with neural spheroids leads to propagation of the virus to the neural tissue which supports the claim that microglia act as a viral reservoir for Zika Virus (ZIKV) and push ahead neural infection in the fetal brain [140]
This study suggested that CMV-infected fetal astrocytes are not competent in mounting an antiviral response but rather secrete cytokines such as CC-chemokine ligand (CCL2) to recruit microglia [55]
Summary
During fetal and postnatal development the central nervous system (CNS) is constantly rearranged to construct and elaborate neuronal circuits needed to fulfill complex neuronal tasks later in life [1]. In vitro data showed that infected human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)- derived microglia-like cells co-cultured with neural spheroids leads to propagation of the virus to the neural tissue which supports the claim that microglia act as a viral reservoir for ZIKV and push ahead neural infection in the fetal brain [140].
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