Microglia are tissue-resident macrophages implicated in central nervous system (CNS) development, homeostasis, and response to injury. Recent advances in transcriptomics, multiplex protein expression analysis, and experimental depletion of microglia have cemented their importance. However, it is still unclear which models are best suited to investigate microglia and explore their function in human disease. Here, we discuss issues regarding off-targeting during experimental manipulation, and differences and similarities between human and rodent microglia. With new developments in transgenic lines and human–rodent chimeras, we anticipate that in coming years, a clearer picture of microglia function in health and disease will emerge.

小胶质细胞是驻留在组织中的巨噬细胞，与中枢神经系统（CNS）的发育，体内稳态以及对损伤的反应有关。转录组学，多重蛋白表达分析和小胶质细胞实验耗竭的最新进展巩固了它们的重要性。但是，仍不清楚哪种模型最适合研究小胶质细胞并探索其在人类疾病中的功能。在这里，我们讨论有关实验操作过程中脱靶的问题，以及人类和啮齿动物小胶质细胞之间的异同。随着转基因品系和人类啮齿类动物嵌合体的新发展，我们预计在未来几年中，小胶质细胞在健康和疾病中的功能将更加清晰。