Development of a Protocol for the Characterization of Fetal Mouse-derived Microglia for Transplantation
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a debilitating neurological condition that affects nearly 55 million people worldwide. One contributing factor to the progression of AD is dysfunctional microglia. These microglia do not perform their roles as cleaners and surveyors of the brain, which allows protein accumulation such as beta-amyloid plaques. As the resident immune cells of the brain, they also become hyperinflammatory and create a toxic microenvironment that leads to neuronal cell death. A promising field of research is introducing exogenic healthy microglia to the brain to replace the dysfunctional native cells. To do this, these exogenic cells must possess the qualities of healthy microglia to be suitable for transplantation. This study centers on fine-tuning a protocol for the exogenic microglia extraction from the neuroepithelial layer of embryonic day 13.5 mice and characterization of these cells utilizing immunohistochemistry with the microglia marker TMEM-119.