Specialized bone marrow transplant replaces immune cells beyond the brain in mice
The immune system is made up of specialized cells and proteins that help defend the body from pathogens and cancer. Most of the time, the immune system performs its job remarkably well. However, in some situations, the immune system doesn't work well enough or works in overdrive, causing disease.
Specialized bone marrow transplantation enables immune cell replacement beyond the brain in mice, according to a study published in Advanced Science. The procedure, known as microglia replacement by bone marrow transplantation (Mr. BMT), effectively transfers donor bone marrow cells to peripheral organs while preserving tissue homeostasis.
Researchers from Fudan University first demonstrated the technique's success in microglia replacement in 2020, and recently extended it to macrophages in the liver, kidney, lung, and spleen. The Mr. BMT method involves depleting existing microglia in the central nervous system (CNS) using a molecule that blocks a protein called CSF1R, then transplanting new bone marrow cells.
While macrophages in the transplanted organs showed a slightly delayed development of macrophage characteristics, tissue homeostasis, metabolism, and innate immune responses remained largely intact after at least 9 months. This research suggests that Mr. BMT could potentially treat diseases affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems, expanding the therapeutic applications of microglia replacement beyond the brain.
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