Microglia Transfer Healthy Mitochondria to Rescue Neurons from Neurodegeneration
A new study led by Prof. Michael T. Heneka from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, uncovers a crucial neuroprotective role of microglia in mitochondrial health. Published in Neuron, the research reveals how microglia use tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) to transfer healthy mitochondria to stressed neurons, rescuing them from toxic protein aggregates linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
TNTs act as direct cellular bridges, allowing microglia to exchange organelles, vesicles, and proteins with neurons. This process helps remove harmful alpha-synuclein (a-syn) and tau aggregates, reducing oxidative stress and restoring normal gene expression. However, mutations in LRRK2 (Gly2019Ser) and TREM2 (T66M, R47H) impair TNT-mediated mitochondrial transfer, potentially exacerbating neurodegeneration.
These findings highlight the vital role of mitochondrial quality control and microglia-neuron interactions in neuroprotection. Targeting TNT-mediated mitochondrial transfer could offer new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
For more details, read the full study: DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.06.029.
© Image Credits: Scheiblich et al. Neuron, 2024
