Microglia-mediated synaptic pruning as a key deficit in neurodevelopmental disorders: Hype or hope?

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This review explains that while immune cells in the brain (microglia) help shape brain connections during development, they are unlikely to be the sole cause of neurodevelopmental conditions like those seen in 16p11.2 syndromes, helping families understand that challenges arise from multiple interacting brain processes—and that future treatments may need to support overall brain health rather than targeting microglia alone.