Microglial cells perform a plethora of functions in the central nervous system (CNS), involving them in brain development, maintenance of homeostasis in adulthood, and CNS diseases. Significant technical advancements have prompted the development of novel systems adapted to analyze microglia with increasing specificity and intricacy. The advent of single-cell technologies combined with targeted mouse models has been decisive in deciphering microglia heterogeneity and dissecting microglial functions. However sophisticated these tools have become, clear limitations remain. Understanding their pitfalls and advantages ensures their correct application. Therefore, we provide a guide to the cutting-edge methods currently available to dissect microglial biology.

小胶质细胞在中枢神经系统 (CNS) 中执行多种功能，涉及大脑发育、成年期体内平衡的维持和中枢神经系统疾病。重大的技术进步促进了适用于分析小胶质细胞的新系统的开发，其特异性和复杂性越来越高。结合靶向小鼠模型的单细胞技术的出现在破译小胶质细胞异质性和解剖小胶质细胞功能方面具有决定性作用。无论这些工具变得多么复杂，仍然存在明显的局限性。了解它们的缺陷和优势可确保它们的正确应用。因此，我们提供了目前可用于解剖小胶质细胞生物学的尖端方法的指南。