Neuroinflammation: Peripheral and Neurogenic Underlying Processes

Abstract

A complex, highly specialized immunomodulatory microenvironment exists in the central nervous system, as a number of protective mechanisms against insults of different kinds have evolved over time to help in maintaining homoeostasis in this compartment.Inflammation in the central nervous system (neuroinflammation) is an elaborate process, triggered in response to challenges of diverse nature. Characterized by increased glial activation (phagocytic phenotype) and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, it often leads to blood-brain barrier disruption and leukocyte invasion. While the initial response to an injury involving oxidative and nitrosative stress usually causes acute neuroinflammation, it seldom affects long-term neuronal survival. Chronic neuroinflammation, on the other side, may affect cell survival and brain functions, as observed in several neurodegenerative disorders. Various peripheral and central injuries can alter the homeostasis in the central nervous system, triggering a persistent adaptive inflammatory response that could lead to a vicious circle of neuronal damage.The purpose of this review is to describe the most relevant players in this phenomenon, and to highlight their detrimental role in different neurologic diseases.