Astrocytes: a double-edged sword in neurodegenerative diseases

Autor: Zhi-Bin Ding, Li-Juan Song, Qing Wang, Gajendra Kumar, Yu-Qing Yan, Cun-Gen Ma
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Neural Regeneration Research, Vol 16, Iss 9, Pp 1702-1710 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1673-5374
DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.306064
Popis: Astrocytes play multifaceted and vital roles in maintaining neurophysiological function of the central nervous system by regulating homeostasis, increasing synaptic plasticity, and sustaining neuroprotective effects. Astrocytes become activated as a result of inflammatory responses during the progression of pathological changes associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Reactive astrocytes (neurotoxic A1 and neuroprotective A2) are triggered during disease progression and pathogenesis due to neuroinflammation and ischemia. However, only a limited body of literature describes morphological and functional changes of astrocytes during the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The present review investigated the detrimental and beneficial roles of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases reported in recent studies, as these cells have promising therapeutic potential and offer new approaches for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals