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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Virology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1452390
This article is part of the Research Topic Neurotropic Virus Replication and Spread Within and Between Neurons View all 5 articles

Contribution of microglia/macrophage to the pathogenesis of TMEV infection in the central nervous system

Provisionally accepted
Qianye Zhang Qianye Zhang Wei Sun Wei Sun Mingxiao Zheng Mingxiao Zheng Ning Zhang Ning Zhang *
  • Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The infection of the central nervous system (CNS) with neurotropic viruses induces neuroinflammation and an immune response, which is associated with the development of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The activation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, involving microglia, macrophages, and T and B cells, while required for efficient viral control within the CNS, is also associated with neuropathology. Under pathological events, such as CNS viral infection, microglia/macrophage undergo a reactive response, leading to the infiltration of immune cells from the periphery into the brain, disrupting CNS homeostasis and contributing to the pathogenesis of disease. The Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelination disease (TMEV-IDD), which serves as a mouse model of MS. This murine model made significant contributions to our understanding of the pathophysiology of MS following subsequent to infection.Microglia/macrophages could be activated into two different states, classic activated state (M1 state) and alternative activated state (M2 state) during TMEV infection. M1 possesses the capacity to initiate inflammatory response and secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines, and M2-liked microglia/macrophages are anti-inflammatory characterized by the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. This review aims to discuss the roles of microglia/macrophages M1/M2-liked polarization during TMEV infection, and explore the potential therapeutic effect of balancing M1/M2-liked polarization of microglia/macrophages on MS.

    Keywords: Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), multiple sclerosis (MS), Microglia/macrophage, M1/M2, Neuroinflammation

    Received: 20 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Sun, Zheng and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ning Zhang, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.