Microglial MyD88-dependent pathways are regulated in a sex-specific manner in the context of HMGB1-induced anxiety.

Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for the development and recurrence of anxiety disorders. Chronic stress impacts the immune system, causing microglial functional alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region involved in the pathogenesis of anxiety. High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is an established modulator of neuronal firing and a potent pro-inflammatory stimulus released from neuronal and non-neuronal cells following stress.