What is neuroinflammation?
Neuroinflammation is inflammation in the brain. According to the book Beyond Stem Cells, the brain's own immune cells, called microglia, normally patrol and protect, but in conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's they can get stuck on high alert and start doing damage. Researchers are studying ways to calm that harmful inflammation while keeping the protective part.
Key points
- Neuroinflammation is inflammation in the brain. The book describes it as a protective response that can turn into a driver of disease.
- Microglia are the brain's resident immune cells. Their normal function is to patrol and protect, like security guards.
- Chronic neuroinflammation happens when microglia cells get stuck on high alert, creating a loop where damaged cells set off the guards and the guards cause more damage.
- Neuroinflammation causes: the book links it to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and says brain imaging shows the inflammation starts early.
- In Parkinson's, cells that make dopamine slowly die off. Alzheimer's usually starts with memory as abnormal proteins build up.
- Current medications mostly help with symptoms, according to the book, and by the time symptoms appear a lot of damage has usually already happened.
- Researchers are studying mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which the book says travel to inflamed areas and send out calming signals.
- Exosomes are tiny packages of instructions released by MSCs. The book says they may be small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier.
- Any neuroinflammation treatment being studied goes alongside your own provider's care, not instead of it.
Brain Health and Inflammation
Read the full transcript · Download the MP3 · Voices are AI-generated from a script based on the book.
What goes wrong in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Your brain and body are always talking. According to the book, neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disrupt that conversation, leading to a gradual decline in function.
Parkinson's disease
In Parkinson's, a small region deep in the brain has cells that make dopamine, which helps control movement. Those cells slowly die off. The result can be tremor, slowed movement, stiffness and balance problems, and fine tasks like buttoning a shirt can become hard.
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's usually begins with memory problems. As abnormal proteins build up in the brain, the changes spread to thinking more broadly.
Why symptoms show up late
According to the book, today's medications mostly help with symptoms, for example by topping up brain chemicals that are running low. They do not stop the damage underneath and tend to work less well over time. By the time symptoms appear, a lot of damage has usually already happened. That is a big reason researchers are looking at regenerative approaches.
Microglia and chronic neuroinflammation
The book points to inflammation as a key driver in these diseases, and it starts with the brain's own immune system.
What are microglia, and where are they located?
Microglia are the brain's resident immune cells. They are spread throughout the brain and the rest of the central nervous system, where their normal function is to patrol and protect nerve tissue. The book compares them to security guards. In Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, the book says, microglia can get stuck on high alert and start doing damage.
Neuroinflammation causes: the vicious cycle
In neurodegenerative conditions, microglia shift toward chronic activation. They release inflammatory proteins and other damaging substances that harm neurons. Damaged neurons then activate more microglia, which cause more stress, and the cycle keeps going. In Parkinson's, activated microglia cluster around dying dopamine cells. In Alzheimer's, they gather around abnormal protein deposits.
A more targeted idea
The older approach was broad drugs that shut down immune function across the board. The newer idea the book describes is more targeted: calm the harmful part of inflammation while keeping the protective part.
What researchers are studying for neuroinflammation
This is early research, and the book talks about several directions. This goes alongside your regular doctor's care, not instead of it, and nobody should stop a current treatment.
What are exosomes?
Exosomes are tiny packages of instructions that cells release to talk to other cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) release them too. The book says exosomes may be small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier, which blocks most substances, including many medicines. Researchers are studying whether that could help calm harmful inflammation in the brain.
Mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes
Researchers are studying mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as one approach. The book says MSCs travel to inflamed areas and send out calming signals that may shift microglia from destructive to protective patterns.
Growth factors: fertilizer for brain cells
Growth factors are proteins that help brain cells survive. The book says people with these diseases seem to have less of them in the areas that matter. Getting them past the blood-brain barrier is the challenge, so scientists are working on gels that hold treatment in place and tiny particles that release it slowly over time.
Cell replacement
Researchers are also studying growing new dopamine cells in a lab and placing them in the brain. The book says Parkinson's is a good early target because it mostly involves one type of lost cell, while Alzheimer's is much harder because it affects many cell types and areas. The cells are carefully cleaned up first so only ready cells are used, and any change tends to show up slowly, over months.
One plan does not fit all
Parkinson's alone has different types. Some people mostly have tremor that progresses slowly, while others decline faster. The book describes using imaging, lab tests, sometimes genetics and even wearable sensors that track movement day to day, which can catch changes a short office visit might miss.
Chapter 7 in one line
Researchers are working on calming the brain's inflammation and helping it protect itself, not just covering symptoms.
Episode 7 transcript.
Read along, or skim the parts you care about most.
EliseOkay so, chapter seven. And this one's about the brain. Parkinson's, Alzheimer's.
GuideYeah. Heavy one.
EliseIt is. So let's start simple. What's actually going wrong?
GuideSo your brain and body are always talking. These conditions kind of... break that conversation.
EliseOkay.
GuideWith Parkinson's, there's this small area deep in the brain. It has cells that make dopamine.
EliseDopamine's the, like, feel-good chemical?
GuideIt does a lot. Here it helps control movement. And those cells slowly die off.
EliseSo that's the shaking.
GuideRight. Tremor, slow movement, stiffness, balance. Even buttoning a shirt gets hard.
EliseOh, wow. And Alzheimer's?
GuideThat usually starts with memory. Abnormal proteins build up, and it spreads out to thinking more broadly.
EliseOkay, so the medications people take now. What do they do?
GuideAccording to the book, they mostly help with symptoms. Like, topping up the brain chemicals that are running low.
EliseBut?
GuideBut they don't stop the damage underneath. And the book says they tend to work less well over time.
EliseHuh.
GuideAnd here's the hard part. By the time symptoms show up, a lot of damage has usually already happened.
EliseWait, really? So you feel it late.
GuideLate. Yeah. That's a big reason researchers are looking at regenerative approaches.
EliseOkay. Where do they start?
GuideInflammation. Which, the brain has its own immune cells. They're called microglia.
EliseMicro-what?
GuideMicroglia. Think of them like security guards. They patrol, they protect.
EliseOkay, I like that.
GuideNormally, great. But in these diseases they get stuck on high alert. And then they start doing damage.
EliseOh no.
GuideAnd it becomes a loop. Damaged cells set off the guards, the guards cause more damage—
Elise—and round it goes.
GuideExactly. A vicious cycle. And the book says brain scans show this inflammation starts early.
EliseSo can you just, like, shut the immune system off?
GuideThat's the old way. Broad drugs that shut everything down. The newer idea is more targeted. Calm the harmful part, keep the protective part.
EliseAnd that's where stem cells come in?
GuideThat's one approach researchers are studying. Mesenchymal stem cells. MSCs.
EliseWhat do they do in the brain?
GuideSo, the book says they travel to inflamed areas and send out calming signals. Kind of talk the guards back down.
EliseTalk 'em off the ledge.
GuidePretty much! They also release exosomes. Tiny little packages of instructions.
EliseOkay, and why does that matter?
GuideBecause the brain has a wall around it. The blood-brain barrier.
EliseLike a bouncer.
GuideYes! A really strict bouncer. Blocks most stuff, including a lot of medicines. But exosomes are so small, the book says they may be able to get through.
EliseOh, interesting.
GuideThen there's growth factors. These are proteins that help brain cells survive. Kind of like fertilizer.
EliseFertilizer for your brain. Okay.
GuideAnd the book says people with these diseases seem to have less of them in the areas that matter.
EliseSo you just add more?
GuideThat's the goal. But there's the bouncer. So scientists are working on ways around it. Gels that hold treatment in place, tiny particles that release it slowly over time.
EliseHuh. So getting it there is half the battle.
EliseOkay, what about actually replacing the cells that died?
GuideSo that's cell replacement. Researchers are studying growing new dopamine cells in a lab and placing them in the brain.
EliseWait, that's a thing?
GuideIt's being studied. The book says Parkinson's is a good early target because it's mostly one type of cell that's lost.
EliseAnd Alzheimer's is harder.
GuideMuch harder. It hits lots of cell types and areas.
EliseIs it safe, though? Putting new cells in your brain?
GuideGood question. The book says the cells get carefully cleaned up first, so only the ready ones go in. And any change tends to show up slowly, over months.
EliseOkay. Last thing. Is it the same for everybody?
GuideNope. And the book really leans into that. Parkinson's alone has different types. Some people mostly have tremor and it moves slowly. Others decline faster.
EliseSo one plan doesn't fit all.
GuideRight. So you look at imaging, lab tests, sometimes genetics. Even wearable sensors that track how you move day to day.
EliseLike a fitness watch.
GuideKind of! It can catch changes a quick office visit might miss.
EliseOkay. And just to be clear, this is alongside your regular doctor's care.
GuideAlongside, not instead of. Nobody should stop their current treatment.
EliseOkay. So if you had to sum up chapter seven?
GuideResearchers are working on calming the brain's inflammation and helping it protect itself, not just covering symptoms.
EliseI like that. And, quick reminder, this is general info, not medical advice. Talk to your own provider.
GuideAlways.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your own provider.
Frequently asked questions.
What is neuroinflammation?
Neuroinflammation is inflammation in the brain. According to the book, it starts as a protective response but can become a driver of disease in conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
What are microglia cells?
Microglia cells are the brain's resident immune cells. They are spread throughout the brain and the rest of the central nervous system, where their normal function is to patrol and protect nerve tissue.
What is the function of microglia?
Microglia are the brain's resident immune cells. Their normal function is to patrol and protect brain tissue. The book says that in neurodegenerative diseases they can get stuck on high alert and start causing damage.
What causes chronic neuroinflammation?
The book describes a vicious cycle: damaged neurons activate microglia, the microglia release inflammatory substances, and that causes more damage. Brain imaging shows this inflammation starts early in the disease.
What are exosomes, and why are they studied for the brain?
Exosomes are tiny packages of instructions that cells release, including mesenchymal stem cells. The book says they may be small enough to get through the blood-brain barrier, which blocks most substances. This is early research.
Is there a neuroinflammation treatment?
The book talks about approaches researchers are studying, including mesenchymal stem cells, exosomes, growth factors and cell replacement. These are early research and go alongside your regular care, not instead of it.
Where is Beyond Stem Cells located?
Beyond Stem Cells is at 5912 S Cody St, Suite 201, Littleton, CO 80123, serving the Denver metro. This podcast is general education, not medical advice.
Want to learn more about regenerative medicine in the Denver metro? Learn about regenerative medicine at Beyond Stem Cells, stem cells, exosomes, our medical team.
Further reading: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine): neurodegenerative diseases.
Want the whole book? Get the free Beyond Stem Cells book.
Regenerative care in Littleton and the Denver metro.
Beyond Stem Cells sits just off S Cody St in Littleton, an easy drive from Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Englewood and Lakewood.
Questions about your own situation?
The podcast is general education. If you want to talk about your own health, request a consultation with our team.
Beyond Stem Cells · 5912 S Cody St, Suite 201, Littleton, CO 80123 · (833) 720-7836 · info@beyondstemcells.com
Medical disclaimer: This page is general education based on the book Beyond Stem Cells by John Comandari and Neville Campbell, MD. It is not medical advice. Individual results vary and no specific outcome is promised. Talk to your own provider about your situation.