In the brain, microglia perform such functions as engulfing damaged nerve cells and removing the debris. They can also promote the growth of neurons. As a result, they play an important role in the development of the brain and in diseases of the nervous system.

Until now, many aspects of how microglia function have remained unknown. This is partly because their behavior under laboratory conditions is fundamentally different than in the human body. An international research team in which Simon Schäfer, Professor for Advanced Organoid Technologies for Mental Health Research at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has made decisive contributions, describes an approach to this problem in the journal Cell.