Alzheimer’s Disease and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Shared and Distinct Immune Mechanisms

Academic Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading causes of cognitive impairment and vision loss in the elderly population worldwide. Although they affect different organs (the brain and the retina, respectively), recent studies have revealed shared pathological features, such as β-amyloid (Aβ) ...

Microglia Transcriptional States and Their Functional Significance: Context Drives Diversity

Academic Background Microglia are the only resident macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS) and play critical roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. Traditionally, microglia were viewed as homogeneous “resting” or “activated” states, but the advent of single-cell sequencing technologies has revealed their remarkable transcriptional...

Inflammasome Signaling in Astrocytes Modulates Hippocampal Plasticity

Academic Background In recent years, the role of immune signaling pathways in nervous system homeostasis has garnered increasing attention. Traditionally, the inflammasome, a core complex of innate immunity, was thought to activate only during infection or tissue damage, participating in pathological processes through caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis ...

Complex Neural-Immune Interactions Shape Glioma Immunotherapy

1. Academic Background Glioblastoma (GBM) and pediatric diffuse midline gliomas (e.g., H3K27M-mutant) are among the most aggressive tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), with limited efficacy from conventional treatments (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy). For decades, the CNS was considered to have “immune privilege,” meaning the immune s...

Nerve- and Airway-Associated Interstitial Macrophages Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Pathogenesis via Type I Interferon Signaling

1. Academic Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of immunoregulatory mechanisms in respiratory viral infections. Despite vaccine advancements, the rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2 continues to threaten public health. Studies indicate that severe COVID-19 cases are often associated with dysregulated immune responses rather tha...

IL-10 Sensing by Lung Interstitial Macrophages Prevents Bacterial Dysbiosis-Driven Pulmonary Inflammation and Maintains Immune Homeostasis

1. Research Background The pathogenesis of chronic lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear, particularly regarding the interaction between pulmonary commensal microbiota and the immune system. While interleukin-10 (IL-10), a key anti-inflammatory cytokine, has been extensively studied in gut homeostasis, its role in pulmonary immun...