Microglia in Epilepsy: From Molecular Mechanism to Therapeutic Strategy

The limit of disease-modifying therapeutic strategies against epilepsy has prompted mainstream epilepsy research toward understanding the pathways contributing to epileptic seizures. Microglia, the powerhouse of the brain's innate immune system, is known for its role in epileptic seizures, contributing via neuroinflammation, neuronal death, and neurogenesis. Therapeutic targeting of microglia with its inhibitor and therapeutic compounds modulating its activation reduces the development of spontaneous recurrent seizure after status epilepticus in a pre-clinical model. Herein, we review various aspects of microglia in epilepsy, including their contribution to seizure-induced neuronal death and neurogenesis, the outcome of depleting microglia (both pharmacologically and genetically), the aspects of microglia-astrocyte interaction, and promising therapeutic outcomes achieved by targeting microglia.