Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie
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The brain is composed of two major cell types - neurons and glial cells. While neurons have been extensively studied, research on glia cells has picked up only in the last decades. There are three types of glia cells in the central nervous system: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia cells. ⋯ They migrate to the site of injury, can proliferate and phagocytose and interact with the peripheral immune system by antigen presentation. Today, we view the brain as an organ which fulfils its function by the interaction of all these cell types. This is also particularly relevant for brain diseases.