Astrocytes as Therapeutic Targets in Neurodegenerative Disorders.
| Authors | |
| Abstract | Astrocytes play crucial roles in central nervous system homeostasis, regulating neuronal and synaptic activity, modulating immune responses, and preserving the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Recent genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies have highlighted astrocytes as key players in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, important questions remain unanswered: How are astrocyte functions changed across different neurodegenerative disorders? Does astrocyte reactivity contribute to neurodegenerative cascades? Can astrocyte-specific processes be targeted for therapy? This review summarizes recent findings on the potential contribution of astrocytes to disease onset and progression, with a focus on their therapeutic potential. It also explores the application of advanced omics technologies to unravel astrocyte complexity, along with the use of emerging murine models and human-induced pluripotent stem cells based systems to explore astrocyte involvement in disease mechanisms. |
| Year of Publication | 2025
|
| Journal | The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|
| Volume | 45
|
| Issue | 46
|
| Date Published | 11/2025
|
| ISSN | 1529-2401
|
| DOI | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1379-25.2025
|
| PubMed ID | 41224665
|
| Links |