Interactions between CNS and immune cells in tuberculous meningitis

Front Immunol. 2024 Feb 1:15:1326859. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1326859. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

The central nervous system (CNS) harbors its own special immune system composed of microglia in the parenchyma, CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs), dendritic cells, monocytes, and the barrier systems within the brain. Recently, advances in the immune cells in the CNS provided new insights to understand the development of tuberculous meningitis (TBM), which is the predominant form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection in the CNS and accompanied with high mortality and disability. The development of the CNS requires the protection of immune cells, including macrophages and microglia, during embryogenesis to ensure the accurate development of the CNS and immune response following pathogenic invasion. In this review, we summarize the current understanding on the CNS immune cells during the initiation and development of the TBM. We also explore the interactions of immune cells with the CNS in TBM. In the future, the combination of modern techniques should be applied to explore the role of immune cells of CNS in TBM.

Keywords: central nervous system; immune cells; macrophages; microglia; tuberculous meningitis.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / pathology
  • Central Nervous System / pathology
  • Humans
  • Microglia / pathology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Meningeal*

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Shenzhen Fund for Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialties (No. SZGSP010), Shenzhen High-level Hospital Construction Fund (No. G2022061)and the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 32260883 and 31700130).