Takeaway
Translocator protein (TSPO) expression can be used as a marker for inflammation but data must be interpreted with care.
Why this matters
TSPO is used as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging target to visualize inflammation in the brain, however, it is unclear whether microglia alone, or astrocytes and other cell types contribute to the increased expression of TSPO. A better understanding of inflammatory processes would improve interpretation of TSPO PET scans in neurodegenerative disorders.