Microglial dynamics across the lifespan under normal and injury conditions

Microglia have been implicated in various brain diseases and act as resident immune cells during injury.

The researchers leveraged in vivo two photon live imaging of microglia to reveal striking differences in their morphology, basal dynamics, and injury responses across life stages.

The authors show that neonatal microglia are denser and more mobile but less morphologically complex and  their responses to focal laser-induced injuries of capillaries or parenchymal tissue are uncoordinated, delayed, and persist over days..

During focal laser-induced injury microglial response in adults occur over minutes and are highly coordinated among neighboring microglia.

In the aged brain, microglia somata remain immobile under basal conditions, but their processes become less ramified and their responses to focal injuries are coordinated but slower and less sensitive.

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00762-4

https://sciencemission.com/Physiological-and-injury-induced-microglia