Researcher finds genes uniquely expressed by the brain's immune cells

According to a new research conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) the scientists have used a new sequencing method in order to identify a group of genes that is used by the brain's immune cells known as microglia. This is to sense pathogenic organisms, toxins or damaged cells that require their response. These are meant for identifying the genes that will lead to a better understanding of the role of microglia both in normal brains and in neurodegenerative disorders. Further it may also lead to new ways to protect the damage caused by diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The lead author of the study, Joseph El Khoury, MD, of the MGH Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases and Division of Infectious Diseases explains, “We've been able to define, for the first time, a set of genes microglia use to sense their environment, which we are calling the microglial sensome. Identifying these genes will allow us to specifically target them in diseases of the central nervous system by developing ways to upregulate or downregulate their expression.”