Gp130 Orchestrates a Bidirectional Microglia-Neuron Circuit for Neuroprotection

Acquired central nervous system (CNS) injury is one of the most common neurological conditions globally, yet effective treatment options are lacking. As the main tissue-resident macrophages of the CNS, microglia have emerged as key functional regulators of CNS repair. However, means to induce neuroprotective microglia and harness their intrinsic repair capabilities have remained elusive. Here we identify gp130 as a key receptor molecule for facilitating bidirectional microglia-neuron communication that improves outcomes from CNS injury. We show that activation of gp130 in CNS-resident microglia triggers the secretion of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a neurotrophic cytokine. LIF induces neuronal IL-6 secretion that then acts back onto the microglial gp130 receptor, thus creating a neuroprotective loop. We demonstrate the broad therapeutic potential of acute gp130 activation across multiple models, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury, and that this pathway can be leveraged therapeutically with designer cytokines.