The role of the immune system in central nervous system plasticity after acute injury

Acute brain injuries trigger rapid cell death, which in turn activates communication between the injured brain and the immune system. In the acute phase, the damaged CNS activates resident and circulating immune cells via the release of soluble mediators, which is necessary to confine the injured tissue and clear cellular debris. The challenge for treating acute CNS damages is to understand how to optimally engage and modify these immune responses, thus providing new strategies that will compensate for tissue lost to injury.

• 1
  Early immune activation after acute CNS injury might have neuroprotective effects.
• 2
  Sustained inflammation profoundly shapes functional and structural plasticity within the CNS
• 3
  Modulation of the innate or adaptive immune responses represents a promising approach to treat acute CNS disorders.