The Dual Role of Microglia in Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction after Stroke

Ruiqing Kang; Marcin Gamdzyk; Cameron Lenahan; Jiping Tang; Sheng Tan; John H Zhang

doi:10.2174/1570159X18666200529150907

The Dual Role of Microglia in Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction after Stroke

Curr Neuropharmacol. 2020;18(12):1237-1249. doi: 10.2174/1570159X18666200529150907.

Authors

Ruiqing Kang^{1

2}, Marcin Gamdzyk¹, Cameron Lenahan¹, Jiping Tang¹, Sheng Tan², John H Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Loma Linda University, School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
² Department of Neurology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Abstract

It is well-known that stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability all over the world. After a stroke, the blood-brain barrier subsequently breaks down. The BBB consists of endothelial cells surrounded by astrocytes. Microglia, considered the long-living resident immune cells of the brain, play a vital role in BBB function. M1 microglia worsen BBB disruption, while M2 microglia assist in repairing BBB damage. Microglia can also directly interact with endothelial cells and affect BBB permeability. In this review, we are going to discuss the mechanisms responsible for the dual role of microglia in BBB dysfunction after stroke.

Keywords: Blood-brain barrier; endothelial cells; inflammation; microglia; polarization; stroke.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Astrocytes
Blood-Brain Barrier*
Endothelial Cells
Humans
Microglia
Stroke*