Since 2024, the " Chaire d'excellence en biologie/santé "schemehas aimed to support the work of highly talented researchers in France. Sonia Garel, Professor at Neurobiology and the Immune System, has been awarded the 2025 prize for her project " MicroProtect - Deciphering the neuroprotective functions of microglia : from brain development to neurodegeneration ".
How does the brain protect itself in the face of the mechanical and environmental constraints that accompany its formation ? Long considered as mere immune sentinels, microglia - macrophages resident in the central nervous system - are now emerging as key players in the preservation of brain integrity from the earliest stages of development. The MicroProtect project aims to characterize a particular state of embryonic and perinatal microglia, active at vulnerable brain borders, which prevents tissue damage and promotes repair.
Remarkably, these developmental microglia share functional properties with those activated in neurodegenerative contexts. This convergence suggests the existence of a conserved neuroprotective program, relying in particular on signaling pathways that regulate their ability to efficiently detect, internalize and eliminate cellular debris or deleterious aggregates.
This interdisciplinary project combines genetic approaches in mice, imaging, transcriptomics and cellular models to decipher the mechanisms involved and explore how certain early inflammatory signals - in particular the interferon pathway activated by viral infections - can disrupt these microglial functions. Inflammatory signals could contribute to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders and/or weaken the subsequent ability to respond to damage to the nervous system.
By placing microglia at the heart of tissue protection processes right from development, MicroProtect offers a new perspective on neuro-immune interactions, and opens up new avenues for prevention and brain repair throughout life.
