Perivascular Macrophage

A immune cell type of the human nervous system.

A CNS border-associated macrophage residing in the perivascular (Virchow-Robin) space around brain blood vessels, where it surveys the vascular interface, clears debris, and helps regulate neuroimmune responses at the blood-brain barrier.

Function

Perivascular/border-associated macrophages that monitor the CNS vascular interface, phagocytose material (debris, pathogens, macromolecules), present antigen, and shape neuroimmune responses around the blood-brain barrier.

Morphology

Amoeboid to elongated cell body (more elongated than parenchymal microglia) with extending/retracting projections

Specification

  • Receptors: Scavenger receptors (CD163, MRC1/CD206); Fc receptors (CD64/FCGR1A)
  • Location: Perivascular (Virchow-Robin) spaces of the CNS, between the vascular basement membrane/endothelium and the astrocytic glia limitans
  • Firing: Non-spiking
  • Markers: CD163; MRC1/CD206; LYVE1; CD14; FCGR1A/CD64; HLA-DRA / MHC-II (antigen-presenting states); AIF1/Iba1 (broad). Not TMEM119/P2RY12 (those mark parenchymal microglia).
  • Developmental origin: Predominantly embryonic yolk-sac / erythromyeloid origin; largely self-maintaining; PU.1 (SPI1)-dependent
  • Disease: Stroke / cerebrovascular injury; HIV encephalitis; implicated broadly in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease at CNS borders
  • Cell Ontology: CL:0000881

References

  1. Kierdorf K, Masuda T, Jordão MJC, & Prinz M (2019). Macrophages at CNS interfaces: ontogeny and function in health and disease.. Nature reviews. Neuroscience 20 PMID 31358892
  2. Goldmann T et al. (2016). Origin, fate and dynamics of macrophages at central nervous system interfaces.. Nature immunology 17 PMID 27135602

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