The Novel Role of Microglia as Modulators of Neurons in the Brain Is Discovered by Mount Sinai Researchers

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Newswise — (New York, NY – September 29, 2020) – Immune cells in the brain that act as scavengers to remove dying cells also play a potentially pivotal role in the regulation of behavior in both mice and humans, a research team from Mount Sinai has found. The newly identified function of the scavenger cells, known as microglia, to protect the brain from abnormal activation in health and disease has implications for treating behavioral abnormalities associated with neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases in humans. The study was published September XX in Nature.

“When we think about brain function, we typically think about how neurons control our thoughts and behavior,” says Anne Schaefer, MD, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and senior author…

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