Astrocyte-immune cell interactions in physiology and pathology
Open accessAbstract
Astrocytes play both physiological and pathological roles in maintaining central nervous system (CNS) function. Here, we review the varied functions of astrocytes and how these might change in subsets of reactive astrocytes. We review the current understanding of astrocyte interactions with microglia and the vasculature and protective barriers in the central nervous system as well as highlight recent insights into physiologic and reactive astrocyte sub-states identified by transcriptional profiling. Our goal is to stimulate inquiry into how these molecular identifiers link to specific functional changes in astrocytes and to define the implications of these heterogeneous molecular and functional changes in brain function and pathology. Defining these complex interactions has the potential to yield new therapies in CNS injury, infection, and disease.
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Astrocytes are key regulators of synaptic homeostasis, metabolic support, and neuroinflammation, and are implicated in neurodegenerative disease processes.
“Astrocytes, as key regulators of synaptic homeostasis, metabolic support, and neuroinflammation, are particularly sensitive to changes in the neuronal environment and have been implicated in numerous neurodegenerative disease processes [112–114].”
From Tau Ablation Rewires Brain Cell Programs in Health and Restores Function in Disease (2026) · cites this paper as [113]
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- Authors
- Han, R. T., Kim, R. D., Molofsky, A. V., & Liddelow, S. A.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- NYU Langone Health (US)
- New York University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Han, Rafael T.
- Kim, Rachel D.
- Molofsky, Anna V.
- Liddelow, Shane A.
- Venue
- Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-02
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 211-224
- ISSN
- 1074-7613 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3126183467
- Cited by
- 223
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 34 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 16
- FWCI
- 4.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 373 d)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
- Locations
- Immunity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Barrier Structure and Function Studies
- Keywords
- astrocytes, reactive astrocytes, astrocyte heterogeneity, astrocyte-microglia interaction, astrocyte-endothelial interactions, blood-brain barrier, central nervous system injury, central nervous system infection, central nervous system disorders
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Astrocytes, Brain, Cell Communication, Central Nervous System Diseases, Humans, Immunity, Cellular, Infections, Inflammation, Neuroimmunomodulation
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