Link to DOI – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01722-5
Nat Med (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01722-5
Bone marrow transplantation causes peripheral cells to engraft the brain by an unclear mechanism. Microglia, the brain’s immune cells, lose their regenerative capacity when the bone marrow transplantation chemotherapy agent busulfan arrests their cell cycle. This causes a gradual decrease in microglial density, creating a niche for peripheral donor cells to engraft the brain and become resident macrophages.