Microglia and the Lung Brain Axis: Implications for CNS Disease

Investigators in the research lab of Michelle Block, PhD, at Indiana University School of Medicine are identifying how microglia, the resident innate immune cells in the brain, can become a chronic source of cytokines and reactive oxygen species that drive progressive neuron damage. Increasing evidence links urban air pollution to central nervous system (CNS) disease. How does air pollution affect microglia, what does it mean for CNS disease, and what can we do about it?