Human fetal microglia acquire homeostatic immune-sensing properties early in development

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aba5906
• Publication Date: 2020-07-30T23:06:39Z
• Authors: L. Kracht; M. Borggrewe; S. Eskandar; N. Brouwer; S. M. Chuva de So...; J. D. Laman; S. A. Scherjon; J. R. Prins; S. M. Kooistra; B. J. L. Eggen
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; PU.1; Brain; Embryonic Development; Cell Separation; READ ALIGNMENT; 03 medical and health sciences; DIFFERENTIATION; MYELINOGENESIS; AGE; Fetus; Phagocytosis; BINDING; CELLS; Humans; TURNOVER; Gene Regulatory Networks; RNA-SEQ; Microglia; Transcriptome; Cells, Cultured

The development of microglia

Microglia are the brain's immune cells, and they play important roles in health and neurodegenerative disease. Kracht et al. performed single-cell analysis of human microglial gene expression and chromatin accessibility and compared the results with those of other studies of human and mice microglial development. By using in situ validation, these data identify fetal microglial subsets that appear to be distinct from adult human microglia, suggesting functional differences between the developing and mature brain.

Science , this issue p. 530