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Originally published by University of Utah Health , on November 13, 2025 Researchers have uncovered surprising evidence that anxiety may be controlled not by neurons but by two dueling groups of immune cells inside the brain. These microglia act like biological pedals—one pushing anxiety forward and the other holding it back. Two opposing groups of brain-immune cells were found to dramatically influence anxiety by either amplifying or reducing anxious behaviors. The discovery could shift future psychiatric treatments toward targeting microglia. Credit: Shutterstock Anxiety disorders affect roughly one in five people in the United States , making them among the most widespread mental health challenges . Although common, scientists still have many questions about how anxiety begins and is controlled within the brain . New research from the University of Utah has now pinpointed two unexpected groups of brain cells in mice that behave like "accelerators" and "...

Dysregulated lipid metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease causes lipid buildup in microglia, reducing the immune cell’s ability to clear amyloid beta plaques. Originally Written by Shelby Bradford, PhD, in the Scientist, on August 18,2025   Amyloid β plaques damage neurons in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers showed they also dysregulate lipid metabolism in microglia, halting the cells’ phagocytic function.  Image credit:©iStock.com, Miyako Nakamura While amyloid β plaques are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), recent research suggests that they aren’t the only players in the neurodegenerative disorder . Genome-wide association studies and RNA sequencing data indicate that microglia , the Pac-Man-like cells of the brain that clean up debris and prune unnecessary neurons, are also important . 1,2 Gaurav Chopra , a neuroscientist and immunologist at Purdue University , and his team wanted to know how amyloid β affects microglia . While microglia are initially cri...