The Role of Astrocytes in CNS Inflammation

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), performing complex functions in health and disease. It is now clear that multiple astrocyte subsets or activation states (plastic phenotypes driven by intrinsic and extrinsic cues) can be identified, associated to specif...

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Published in:Trends in immunology Vol. 41; no. 9; pp. 805 - 819
Main Authors: Giovannoni, Federico, Quintana, Francisco J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2020
Elsevier Limited
Subjects:
astrocyte subsets
Astrocytes
Astrocytes - cytology
Astrocytes - immunology
Central nervous system
Central Nervous System - cytology
Central Nervous System - immunology
Disease
Gene expression
Genotype & phenotype
Humans
Inflammation
Inflammation - immunology
Kinases
Morphology
Nervous System Diseases - immunology
Neurological diseases
Phenotypes
Phenotypic plasticity
Proteins
reactive astrocytes
Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
Viruses
West Nile virus
inflammation
astrocyte subsets
reactive astrocytes
ISSN:1471-4906, 1471-4981, 1471-4981
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), performing complex functions in health and disease. It is now clear that multiple astrocyte subsets or activation states (plastic phenotypes driven by intrinsic and extrinsic cues) can be identified, associated to specific genomic programs and functions. The characterization of these subsets and the mechanisms that control them may provide unique insights into the pathogenesis of neurologic diseases, and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In this article, we provide an overview of the role of astrocytes in CNS inflammation, highlighting recent discoveries on astrocyte subsets and the mechanisms that control them. Astrocytes display functional and phenotypic heterogeneity across and within CNS regions under homeostatic conditions.CNS insults (trauma, infection, autoimmune inflammation, protein aggregates) induce a broad array of astrocyte activation states, poorly defined in terms of phenotype, function, and role in human pathology.Astrocyte activation during acute microbial infection is essential for pathogen clearance but can contribute to long-term neurological impairments.The plasticity of astrocytes and their ability to adopt either a proinflammatory or an anti-inflammatory phenotype could be targeted for therapeutic intervention.
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ISSN:1471-4906
1471-4981
1471-4981
DOI:10.1016/j.it.2020.07.007