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Cited by 721Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchTryptophan and brain disorders

Astrocyte Reactivity: Subtypes, States, and Functions in CNS Innate Immunity

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Sofroniew, Michael V.·2020·Trends in Immunology
DOI 10.1016/j.it.2020.07.004PMC PMC7484257
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Abstract

Astrocytes are neural parenchymal cells that ubiquitously tile the central nervous system (CNS). In addition to playing essential roles in healthy tissue, astrocytes exhibit an evolutionarily ancient response to all CNS insults, referred to as astrocyte reactivity. Long regarded as passive and homogeneous, astrocyte reactivity is being revealed as a heterogeneous and functionally powerful component of mammalian CNS innate immunity. Nevertheless, concepts about what astrocyte reactivity comprises and what it does are incomplete and sometimes controversial. This review discusses the goal of differentiating reactive astrocyte subtypes and states based on composite pictures of molecular expression, cell morphology, cellular interactions, proliferative state, normal functions, and disease-induced dysfunctions. A working model and conceptual framework is presented for characterizing the diversity of astrocyte reactivity.

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  • The study accounted for established pathways of astrocyte-microglia cross-talk by using direct cytokine stimulation in 2D cultures lacking microglia and LPS-induced microglial activation in organoids.

    “Our approach accounted for established pathways of astrocyte-microglia cross-talk (8, 9, 15, 40), using direct cytokine stimulation (TNF-α and IL-1β) in 2D cultures lacking microglia and LPS-induced microglial activation in organoids (41)”

    From Varicose projection astrocytes: Conserved reactive cells in brain pathology (2026) · cites this paper as [8]

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Authors
Sofroniew, M. V.
Affiliations
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Corresponding author
Sofroniew, Michael V.
ORCID
Sofroniew, Michael V.
Venue
Trends in Immunology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-09
Volume
41
Issue
9
Pages
758-770
ISSN
1471-4906 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.it.2020.07.004
PMC
PMC7484257
OpenAlex
W3049429323
Cited by
721
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 102 · 2025: 144 · 2024: 151 · 2023: 121 · 2022: 112 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 7
FWCI
8.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Trends in Immunology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation
  • Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • Wings for Life
  • National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
astrocyte activation, reactive astrocytes, astrocyte subtypes, astrocyte heterogeneity, astrocyte proliferation, astrocyte morphology, central nervous system
MeSH terms
Animals, Astrocytes, Cell Communication, Cell Differentiation, Central Nervous System, Humans, Immunity, Innate

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