抗体塑造成年大脑回路

Immune cells target hyperactive neurons to eliminate synaptic connections Lauritz Miarka1 and Marco Prinz1,2,3 During development, the mammalian brain forges more neuronal connections, or synapses, than needed. Excess synapses are tagged by the complement system (1), triggering their elimi- nation by microglia, the tissue-resident macro- phages (2). The remaining synapses are strengthened and neuronal circuits mature. During neurodegeneration, this developmental program is reactivated and leads to patho- logical synapse loss and cognitive decline (3). Whether similar mechanisms shape circuits in the adult brain in the absence of disease is not known. On page 166 of this issue, Crowley et al. (4) reframe developmental, comple- ment-mediated synaptic pruning as a constitutive sensor of neuronal hyperactivity in the adult brain. …