Present and future of microglial pharmacology

Microglia, brain resident immune cells, modulate development, activity, and plasticity of the central nervous system. Mechanistically implicated in numerous neurological pathologies, microglia emerge as strong contenders for novel neurotherapies. Shifting away from merely an attenuation of excessive microglial inflammatory and phagocytic activities, current therapies aim toward targeting the complex context-dependent microglial heterogeneity, unveiled by large-scale genetic studies and emerging single-cell analyses. Although lacking the necessary selectivity, initial therapies attempting to target specific state -associated microglial properties and functions (e.g., inflammatory activity, phagocytosis, proliferation, metabolism, or surveillance) are currently under pre-or even clinical (Phase I-IV) investigation. Here, we provide an update on current microglial therapeutic research and discuss what the future in the field might look like.

Automated summary

Microglia, as brain resident immune cells, play a crucial role in the development, activity, and plasticity of the central nervous system. They have been identified as potential targets for new neurotherapies due to their involvement in various neurological pathologies. Current research focuses on understanding the complex heterogeneity of microglia and developing more targeted treatments. Although the current therapies have limitations, clinical investigations are underway, and the future of microglial therapeutic research looks promising.