Elimination of microglia improves cognitive function following cranial irradiation

Abstract summary

Showed that pharmacological inhibition of CSF1R (using PLX5622) efficiently depletes microglia from the adult mouse brain. Upon drug withdrawal, the brain is rapidly repopulated by new microglia from residual progenitors. Established CSF1R inhibition as the standard method for microglial depletion, enabling numerous subsequent mechanistic studies.

Evidence labels

Therapeutic relevance

Established CSF1R inhibition as a method for microglial modulation; PLX5622 and analogs are widely used in microglial research and in clinical trials.