Microglia related Assay Services

Microglial assays offer researchers a valuable tool for advancing their understanding of the immune response, pathological processes, neural development, and inflammatory mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS). This provides a crucial scientific foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. At Creative Biolabs, all microglia assays are performed on primary mouse microglia (wild type and disease models), human primary microglia, or human iPSC-derived microglia. To learn more about our products and services, submit a project request, or request a quote, please contact us today.

Microglia Products

Primary microglia have become an indispensable tool in neurobiology research for their value in modeling neurodegenerative disease, their role in CNS inflammation, and their application in neuron-glia interaction and drug screening. Creative Biolabs offers a comprehensive range of primary microglia, including mouse, rat, rhesus monkey, and human, as well as iPSC-derived microglial cell lines.

Introduction

Microglia are a type of mononuclear macrophage that reside in the CNS. They account for 10-15% of all cells in the brain and belong to the glial system. Microglia can be identified by a variety of common markers, including CD11b, CD45, CD68, and CX3CR1. Additionally, microglia express specific markers, such as P2RY12, which facilitate the distinction of microglia from other cells in the brain and peripheral immune cells. The typical number and function of microglia are of great consequence for CNS.

Microglia play a multitude of crucial roles within the CNS, including immune defense, neurotrophic support, synaptic pruning, and neural repair. Their intricate functions make them a pivotal area of focus in neurobiological research.

Microglia Assays

• Microglia Phagocytosis Assay

Microglia maintain the stability and health of the brain by engulfing pathogens, cell debris, dead neurons, presynaptic vesicles, and other waste. Under pathological conditions, the phagocytic function of microglia can lead to excessive clearance of neurons and synapses, exacerbating the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. For example, in Alzheimer's disease (AD), microglia clear pathological substances by engulfing Aβ proteins, but their dysfunction leads to increased Aβ deposition, further exacerbating the disease. In addition, microglia also respond to neuronal damage in Parkinson's disease (PD) by engulfing α-syn proteins, but their phagocytic ability may be impaired by the accumulation of α-syn. In both AD and PD, it is suspected that microglia play a role in the proliferation of the disease through phagocytosis and exocytosis of aggregates.

Phagocytosis assays can be performed in a variety of ways, including the use of fluorescently labeled microspheres or specific phagocytic particles to assess the phagocytic activity of microglia.

• Microglia Chemotaxis Assay

Microglial chemotaxis refers to the ability of microglia to migrate to sites of injury or inflammation under the guidance of specific signals. Chemokines are a class of peptides that can direct the migration of immune cells and play a key role in microglial chemotaxis. For example, chemokines such as CCL21, CX3CL1, MCP-1/CCL2, and SDF-1α/CXCL12 can attract microglia to migrate to the damaged area to clean it up.

To measure microglial chemotaxis, we offer transwell assays, wound healing migration assays, and other methods.

At Creative Biolabs, our microglia assays offer reliable and precise data for your research needs. We invite you to contact us to discuss your project plans in detail.