Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States.
Department of Cell Biology, Genetic and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
Curr Alzheimer Res. 2019;16(8):675-698. doi: 10.2174/1567205016666190830110152.
Astrocytes are key cells for adequate brain formation and regulation of cerebral blood flow as well as for the maintenance of neuronal metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis and exocytosis, and synaptic transmission. Many of these functions are intrinsically related to neurodegeneration, allowing refocusing on the role of astrocytes in physiological and neurodegenerative states. Indeed, emerging evidence in the field indicates that abnormalities in the astrocytic function are involved in the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In the present review, we highlight the physiological role of astrocytes in the CNS, including their communication with other cells in the brain. Furthermore, we discuss exciting findings and novel experimental approaches that elucidate the role of astrocytes in multiple neurological disorders.
星形胶质细胞是大脑形成和调节脑血流的关键细胞，也是维持神经元代谢、神经递质合成和胞吐以及突触传递的关键细胞。这些功能中的许多都与神经退行性变密切相关，这使得人们重新关注星形胶质细胞在生理和神经退行性变状态中的作用。事实上，该领域的新证据表明，星形胶质细胞功能异常与多种神经退行性疾病的发病机制有关，包括阿尔茨海默病（AD）、帕金森病（PD）、亨廷顿病（HD）和肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）。在本综述中，我们强调了星形胶质细胞在中枢神经系统中的生理作用，包括它们与大脑中其他细胞的通讯。此外，我们还讨论了阐明星形胶质细胞在多种神经疾病中作用的令人兴奋的发现和新的实验方法。
