Reactive Astrocytes and Emerging Roles in Central Nervous System (CNS) Disorders

Shane A Liddelow; Michelle L Olsen; Michael V Sofroniew

doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a041356

Reactive Astrocytes and Emerging Roles in Central Nervous System (CNS) Disorders

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2024 Feb 5:a041356. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041356. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shane A Liddelow^{1

2

3}, Michelle L Olsen⁴, Michael V Sofroniew⁵

Affiliations

¹ Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA shane.liddelow@nyulangone.org molsen1@vt.edu sofroniew@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
⁴ School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA shane.liddelow@nyulangone.org molsen1@vt.edu sofroniew@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁵ Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA shane.liddelow@nyulangone.org molsen1@vt.edu sofroniew@mednet.ucla.edu.

PMID: 38316554
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041356

Abstract

In addition to their many functions in the healthy central nervous system (CNS), astrocytes respond to CNS damage and disease through a process called "reactivity." Recent evidence reveals that astrocyte reactivity is a heterogeneous spectrum of potential changes that occur in a context-specific manner. These changes are determined by diverse signaling events and vary not only with the nature and severity of different CNS insults but also with location in the CNS, genetic predispositions, age, and potentially also with "molecular memory" of previous reactivity events. Astrocyte reactivity can be associated with both essential beneficial functions as well as with harmful effects. The available information is rapidly expanding and much has been learned about molecular diversity of astrocyte reactivity. Emerging functional associations point toward central roles for astrocyte reactivity in determining the outcome in CNS disorders.