STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL HETEROGENEITY OF ASTROCYTES IN THE BRAIN: ROLE IN NEURODEGENERATION AND NEUROINFLAMMATION

The review covers the current concepts on structural and functional heterogeneity of brain astrocytes that serve for numerous (patho) physiological processes in the central nervous system. Astrocytes from various subpopulations demonstrate different sensitivity to the action of pathogenic factors, varied behaviors in reactive processes and within the local immune response. Key functions of astrocytes like neurogenesis, neuron-astroglia metabolic coupling, glial control of local blood flow greatly depend on the origin and characteristics of astroglial cells. Changes at the initial stages of neurodegeneration or in neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with significant alterations in astroglial structural and functional properties, thus suggesting new approaches to therapeutic strategies implementing astroglia-expressing molecules and targets for effective control of pathological process.