Precise blood vessel function is critical to accommodate the extreme energy demands of the brain for normal brain function. These findings suggest previously unknown roles for these brain cells in the proper maintenance of blood delivery to the brain and provide novel opportunities to intervene in contexts where blood perfusion to the brain is impaired."
Ukpong B. Eyo PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia Health System
"Researchers have been studying these cells in the living brain for over two decades but this is the first time we are able to get an idea of these mechanisms of microglia-blood vessel interaction," said Eyo, a top expert on microglia. "It's an exciting time to be the first to make these findings here at UVA."
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Blood, Blood Vessel, Blood Vessels, Brain, Capillaries, Dementia, Immunology, Medical Research, Medicine, Microglia, Neuroscience, Research, Stroke