Astrocytes: Heterogeneous and Dynamic Phenotypes in Neurodegeneration and Innate Immunity
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2019Access:
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Cunningham, C. and Dunne, A. and Lopez-Rodriguez, A.B., Astrocytes: Heterogeneous and Dynamic Phenotypes in Neurodegeneration and Innate Immunity, Neuroscientist, 2019, 455-474Download Item:
Abstract:
Astrocytes are the most numerous cell type in the brain and perform several essential functions in supporting neuronal
metabolism and actively participating in neural circuit and behavioral function. They also have essential roles as innate
immune cells in responding to local neuropathology, and the manner in which they respond to brain injury and
degeneration is the subject of increasing attention in neuroscience. Although activated astrocytes have long been
thought of as a relatively homogenous population, which alter their phenotype in a relatively stereotyped way upon
central nervous system injury, the last decade has revealed substantial heterogeneity in the basal state and significant
heterogeneity of phenotype during reactive astrocytosis. Thus, phenotypic diversity occurs at two distinct levels: that
determined by regionality and development and that determined by temporally dynamic changes to the environment
of astrocytes during pathology. These inflammatory and pathological states shape the phenotype of these cells, with
different consequences for destruction or recovery of the local tissue, and thus elucidating these phenotypic changes
has significant therapeutic implications. In this review, we will focus on the phenotypic heterogeneity of astrocytes in
health and disease and their propensity to change that phenotype upon subsequent stimuli.
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Author: Dunne, Aisling; Cunningham, Colm
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Astrocytes, Heterogeneity, Priming, Phenotype, Chemokine, Chronic neurodegenerationDOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1073858418809941Metadata
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