Molecular mechanisms of glial immune responses to neurodegeneration in the young and aged CNS

Glial cells refine synaptic signaling, ensheath axonal projections and, importantly, are the first immune responders in the brain after trauma or stress. During reactive gliosis, glia undergo a multi-step process of recognizing the injury, traveling to or expanding membranes at the site of injury, engulfing and destroying the debris. In Drosophila, the Draper/MEGF10 engulfment pathway is required for engulfment of degenerating axonal material. However, little is known about how brain aging mechanisms contribute to glial health and what other neuroprotective pathways are upregulated during reactive gliosis. This work highlights reduced glial engulfment activity as an intriguing candidate mechanism for age-related vulnerability to neural damage and disease.