Microglial lipid metabolism during physiological and pathological conditions

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An important task of microglia is the phagocytosis and the breakdown of dead cells and extracellularly deposited proteins and lipids. The presence of extracellular deposits can increase under pathological conditions and aging processes. Due to the large number of different CNS cell types, which in turn all express a specific repertoire of proteins, microglia must be able to adapt their metabolism and catabolism to the phagocytosed material in order to avoid an intracellular accumulation of lipids, which in turn leads to the activation of microglia. This is the case, for example, during neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, where activated microglia can contribute to a worsening of the clinical disease course.In this research project we want to investigate whether and how the lipid metabolism in microglia can be used to increase lipid catabolism and thereby reduce the activation of microglia. The results can help to identify new therapeutic intervention options that can be used, for example, in Alzheimer's disease.