Lec10: Intro to Glia

Question 1

What are the 3 types of glial cells?

Answer 1

Microglia, Oligodendrocytes, Astrocytes

Question 2

Microglia are cells of which body system?

Answer 2

CNS immune cells.

Question 3

What is the origin of microglia?

Answer 3

Monolytic/Myeloid origin.

Question 4

Are microglia the only CNS immune cells?

Answer 4

No.

Question 5

Why are microglia termed “professional phagocytes”?

Answer 5

They are able to phagocyse many materials, unlike many other phagocytes which are overly specialised and only able to phagocyse a small reportoire of materials.

Question 6

Microglia respond to cytokine release. What are the two responses of the microglia?

Answer 6

1. Secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines.

2. Function as APCs

Question 7

What are perivascular macrophages, and name some of the different varieties?

Answer 7

They communicate with blood vessels.

-Foamy, phagocytic, non-phagocytic, APCs, Ramified, Activated

Question 8

What is neurological classification based on, and compare this to a better method it should be based on?

Answer 8

Based on the cell’s appearance, but should be classified on cell markers (as it alludes to function).

Question 9

What are the two reasons for there being no FDA-approved drug to target microglia as a therapeutic target?

Answer 9

1. Drugs must be able to cross an intact BBB
2. Functionally heterogenous target specificity - that is, many body cells (eg. kuppfer cells) are of similar origin to microglia, thus drugs targeting microglia may target these other cells, causing unwanted side effects elsewhere in the body.

Question 10

What are 3 potentially therapeutic strategies concerning microglia if appropriate drugs can be manufactured?

Answer 10

1. Increase phagocytosis to clear debris
2. Supress APC activity - to prevent autoimmune disease
3. Either stimulate or inhibit inflammatory functions

Question 11

What are the 5 functions of astrocytes?

Answer 11

1. Supports neuronal cells - provides nutrients and clears wastes
2. Supports Neurovascular unit
3. Produce NT and clears NT from synapse
4. Releases neurotrophic factors (NF)
5. Has “progenitor qualities”

Question 12

Describe how astrocytes operate in an immune response?

Answer 12

They migrate to the site of injury in response to chemokine and cytokine release, and then release their own chemokines and NF.

Question 13

Name 4 chemokines produced by astrocytes.

Answer 13

IP-8, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-10

Question 14

Name three ways in which astrocytes are a problem with regards to disease.

Answer 14

1. Loss of neuronal support = VERY BAD
2. Produce neuron-damaging inflammatories
3. Origin of glioblastoma (so you must control astrocyte proliferation).

Question 15

How are astrocytes detected in neural tissue?

Answer 15

If they stain GFAP positive in culture.