Glial reactivity and T cell infiltration in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau pathology.

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau (FTLD-tau) is a group of tauopathies that underlie ∼50% of FTLD cases. Identification of genetic risk variants related to innate/adaptive immunity have highlighted a role for neuroinflammation and neuroimmune interactions in FTLD. Studies have shown microglial and astrocyte activation together with T cell infiltration in the brain of THY-Tau22 tauopathy mice.

Microglia and Astrocyte Function and Communication: What Do We Know in Humans?

Microglia and astrocytes play essential roles in the central nervous system contributing to many functions including homeostasis, immune response, blood-brain barrier maintenance and synaptic support. Evidence has emerged from experimental models of glial communication that microglia and astrocytes influence and coordinate each other and their effects on the brain environment. However, due to the difference in glial cells between humans and rodents, it is essential to confirm the relevance of these findings in human brains.

Molecular Investigation of the Unfolded Protein Response in Select Human Tauopathies.

Background: Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the accumulation of misfolded tau protein. The mechanisms underpinning tau-dependent proteinopathy remain to be elucidated. A protein quality control pathway within the endoplasmic reticulum, the unfolded protein response (UPR), has been suggested as a possible pathway modulating cellular responses in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including those associated with misfolded cytosolic tau.

Glial cells and adaptive immunity in frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology.

Neuroinflammation is involved in the aetiology of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and motor neuron disease. Whether neuroinflammation also plays an important role in the pathophysiology of frontotemporal dementia is less well known. Frontotemporal dementia is a heterogeneous classification that covers many subtypes, with the main pathology known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration.