To quantify MMR expression by macrophages and microglia in the infected brain, qRT-PCR was performed on magnetically isolated CD11b+ cells from the brains of naive and infected animals. Our results show an approximate 3-fold increase in MMR expression in macrophage populations from infected mice over naïve ( Figure 1G ). Confirmation of this population in the brain was revealed by immunohistochemical analysis. MMR+ macrophages were observed as small and discrete populations of IBA-1+ or tomato lectin+ cells confirming the source of MMR on macrophages or microglia ( Figures 1H, I) . A further functional marker of alternative activation is the scavenger receptor stabilin-1 [40] . Stabilin-1 is involved in the clearance of cell corpses as well as the uptake of extracellular matrix components [41, 42] . Expression of MMR co-localized with stabilin-1 and microglia/ macrophage markers, confirming that these cells display an alternatively activated phenotype ( Figures 1H, I) . These cell populations were frequently found in close proximity with intact and degrading T. gondii cysts in the CNS ( Figure 1J and S3 ).