Liu Yuqing, Wu Lei, Peng Weijun, Mao Xiaoyuan
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
Ageing Res Rev. 2025 Feb;104:102638. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102638. Epub 2024 Dec 12.
Glial cell polarization plays a pivotal role in various neurological disorders. In response to distinct stimuli, glial cells undergo polarization to either mitigate neurotoxicity or facilitate neural repair following injury, underscoring the importance of glial phenotypic polarization in modulating central nervous system function. This review presents an overview of glial cell polarization, focusing on astrocytes and microglia. It explores the involvement of glial polarization in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and meningoencephalitis. Specifically, it emphasizes the role of glial cell polarization in disease pathogenesis through mechanisms including neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, calcium signaling dysregulation, synaptic dysfunction and immune response. Additionally, it summarizes various therapeutic strategies including pharmacological treatments, dietary supplements and cell-based therapies, aimed at modulating glial cell polarization to ameliorate brain dysfunction. Future research focused on the spatio-temporal manipulation of glial polarization holds promise for advancing precision diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases.
神经胶质细胞极化在各种神经系统疾病中起着关键作用。响应不同的刺激，神经胶质细胞发生极化，以减轻神经毒性或促进损伤后的神经修复，这突出了神经胶质细胞表型极化在调节中枢神经系统功能中的重要性。本综述概述了神经胶质细胞极化，重点关注星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞。它探讨了神经胶质细胞极化在诸如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、中风、癫痫、创伤性脑损伤、肌萎缩侧索硬化症、多发性硬化症和脑膜脑炎等神经系统疾病中的作用。具体而言，它强调了神经胶质细胞极化通过神经炎症、神经退行性变、钙信号失调、突触功能障碍和免疫反应等机制在疾病发病机制中的作用。此外，它总结了各种治疗策略，包括药物治疗、膳食补充剂和基于细胞的疗法，旨在调节神经胶质细胞极化以改善脑功能障碍。未来专注于神经胶质细胞极化时空操纵的研究有望推动神经系统疾病的精准诊断和治疗。
