With the induction under the stress conditions such as the brain injury and the infection, the microglia in the central nervous system will rapidly be activated to promote the neuroinflammation. Extensive chronic neuroinflammation can be found in neurodegenerative diseases, and the abnormal folding protein deposited in the brain of patients is usually the key cause of inflammation. In addition, the neuroinflammation may also directly participate in the induction of the disease. This paper reviews the mechanisms underlying the activation of inflammation in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cutting-edge studies of how the inflammation induces the disease initiation and aggravates the disease process. It is suggested that the next key research goal is to find the drugs that target the key sites of the microglia activation with a good blood-brain barrier permeability.

neurodegenerative diseases  /  innate immune  /  neuroinflammation