Abstract:
Aging is characterized by progressive degeneration of tissues and organs, and it is positively associated with an increased mortality rate. The brain, as one of the most significantly affected organs, experiences age-related changes, including abnormal neuronal activity, dysfunctional calcium homeostasis, dysregulated mitochondrial function, and increased levels of reactive oxygen species. These changes collectively contribute to cognitive deterioration. Aging is also a key risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer\'s disease and Parkinson\'s disease. For many years, neurodegenerative disease investigations have primarily focused on neurons, with less attention given to microglial cells. However, recently, microglial homeostasis has emerged as an important mediator in neurological disease pathogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of brain aging from the perspective of the microglia. In doing so, we present the current knowledge on the correlation between brain aging and the microglia, summarize recent progress of investigations about the microglia in normal aging, Alzheimer\'s disease, Parkinson\'s disease, Huntington\'s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and then discuss the correlation between the senescent microglia and the brain, which will culminate with a presentation of the molecular complexity involved in the microglia in brain aging with suggestions for healthy aging.
摘要:
衰老的特征是组织和器官的进行性变性,它与死亡率增加呈正相关。大脑,作为受影响最严重的器官之一,经历与年龄相关的变化,包括异常的神经元活动,功能失调的钙稳态,线粒体功能失调,和增加的活性氧的水平。这些变化共同导致认知恶化。衰老也是神经退行性疾病的关键危险因素,如阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病。多年来,神经退行性疾病的研究主要集中在神经元上,对小胶质细胞的关注较少。然而,最近,小胶质细胞稳态已成为神经系统疾病发病机制中的重要介质。这里,我们从小胶质细胞的角度对大脑衰老进行了概述。在这样做的时候,我们提出了关于脑老化与小胶质细胞之间相关性的最新知识,综述了近年来关于正常衰老过程中小胶质细胞的研究进展,老年痴呆症,帕金森病,亨廷顿病,和肌萎缩侧索硬化症,然后讨论衰老的小胶质细胞和大脑之间的相关性,这将以大脑衰老过程中涉及小胶质细胞的分子复杂性的呈现为高潮,并提出健康衰老的建议。