Neuroprotection Research Laboratory, Departments of Radiology and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jan 11;20(2):282. doi: 10.3390/ijms20020282.
Astrocytes comprise the major non-neuronal cell population in the mammalian neurovascular unit. Traditionally, astrocytes are known to play broad roles in central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis, including the management of extracellular ion balance and pH, regulation of neurotransmission, and control of cerebral blood flow and metabolism. After CNS injury, cell⁻cell signaling between neuronal, glial, and vascular cells contribute to repair and recovery in the neurovascular unit. In this mini-review, we propose the idea that astrocytes play a central role in organizing these signals. During CNS recovery, reactive astrocytes communicate with almost all CNS cells and peripheral progenitors, resulting in the promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, regulation of inflammatory response, and modulation of stem/progenitor response. Reciprocally, changes in neurons and vascular components of the remodeling brain should also influence astrocyte signaling. Therefore, understanding the complex and interdependent signaling pathways of reactive astrocytes after CNS injury may reveal fundamental mechanisms and targets for re-integrating the neurovascular unit and augmenting brain recovery.
星形胶质细胞构成了哺乳动物神经血管单元中的主要非神经元细胞群体。传统上，星形胶质细胞在中枢神经系统（CNS）稳态中发挥广泛作用，包括管理细胞外离子平衡和 pH 值、调节神经传递以及控制脑血流和代谢。在中枢神经系统损伤后，神经元、胶质细胞和血管细胞之间的细胞间信号有助于神经血管单元的修复和恢复。在这篇小型综述中，我们提出了星形胶质细胞在组织这些信号中起核心作用的观点。在中枢神经系统恢复过程中，反应性星形胶质细胞与几乎所有中枢神经系统细胞和外周祖细胞进行通信，从而促进神经发生和血管生成、调节炎症反应以及调节干细胞/祖细胞反应。反过来，重塑大脑中的神经元和血管成分的变化也应该影响星形胶质细胞信号。因此，了解中枢神经系统损伤后反应性星形胶质细胞的复杂和相互依存的信号通路可能揭示重新整合神经血管单元和增强大脑恢复的基本机制和靶点。
