Glia-Neuron Communication: Not a One-Way Street

Obesity and its comorbidities are increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. A key mechanism in the development of this disease involves dysregulation of the hypothalamus, which is a key region of the brain responsible for maintaining energy balance. Specifically, energy excess primarily due to elevated levels of fats and lipids induces a neuroinflammatory response in the hypothalamus that impairs key regulatory mechanisms that maintain energy balance. Crucially, the induction and progression of neuroinflammation involves bidirectional communication between resident neurons and immune cells called microglia. This chapter will cover the basics of inflammation, the methods used to study this phenomenon, neuronal and microglial mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation, and the ways in which these two components interact in this pathogenic state, and will provide future perspectives on targeting neuroinflammation to restore hypothalamic function and treating obesity.