Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, P,O, Box 100244, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. streit@mbi.ufl.edu
Microglia make up the innate immune system of the central nervous system and are key cellular mediators of neuroinflammatory processes. Their role in central nervous system diseases, including infections, is discussed in terms of a participation in both acute and chronic neuroinflammatory responses. Specific reference is made also to their involvement in Alzheimer's disease where microglial cell activation is thought to be critically important in the neurodegenerative process.