VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Cells. 2021 Mar 4;10(3):540. doi: 10.3390/cells10030540.
Astrocytes perform a wide variety of essential functions defining normal operation of the nervous system and are active contributors to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's among others. Recent data provide compelling evidence that distinct astrocyte states are associated with specific stages of Alzheimer´s disease. The advent of transcriptomics technologies enables rapid progress in the characterisation of such pathological astrocyte states. In this review, we provide an overview of the origin, main functions, molecular and morphological features of astrocytes in physiological as well as pathological conditions related to Alzheimer´s disease. We will also explore the main roles of astrocytes in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer´s disease and summarize main transcriptional changes and altered molecular pathways observed in astrocytes during the course of the disease.
星形胶质细胞具有多种重要功能，这些功能定义了神经系统的正常运作，并且是神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病等）发病机制的积极贡献者。最近的数据提供了令人信服的证据，表明不同的星形胶质细胞状态与阿尔茨海默病的特定阶段有关。转录组学技术的出现使对这种病理性星形胶质细胞状态的特征描述取得了快速进展。在这篇综述中，我们提供了关于星形胶质细胞在生理和与阿尔茨海默病相关的病理条件下的起源、主要功能、分子和形态特征的概述。我们还将探讨星形胶质细胞在阿尔茨海默病发病机制中的主要作用，并总结在疾病过程中星形胶质细胞中观察到的主要转录变化和改变的分子途径。
