Microglia protect against age-associated brain pathologies

Microglia are brain-resident macrophages that contribute to central nervous system (CNS) development, maturation, and preservation. Here, we examine the consequences of permanent microglial deficiencies on brain aging using the Csf1r ^{ΔFIRE/ΔFIRE} mouse model. In juvenile Csf1r ^{ΔFIRE/ΔFIRE} mice, we show that microglia are dispensable for the transcriptomic maturation of other brain cell types. By contrast, with advancing age, pathologies accumulate in Csf1r ^{ΔFIRE/ΔFIRE} brains, macroglia become increasingly dysregulated, and white matter integrity declines, mimicking many pathological features of human CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy. The thalamus is particularly vulnerable to neuropathological changes in the absence of microglia, with atrophy, neuron loss, vascular alterations, macroglial dysregulation, and severe tissue calcification. We show that populating Csf1r ^{ΔFIRE/ΔFIRE} brains with wild-type microglia protects against many of these pathological changes. Together with the accompanying study by Chadarevian and colleagues ¹, our results indicate that the lifelong absence of microglia results in an age-related neurodegenerative condition that can be counteracted via transplantation of healthy microglia.