Astrocytes In Als is a cell type relevant to neurodegenerative disease research. This page covers its role in brain function, involvement in disease processes, and significance for therapeutic strategies.
| Property | Value | [1]
|----------|-------| [2]
| Category | Glial Cells | [3]
| Location | Motor cortex, spinal cord anterior horn, brainstem | [4]
| Cell Type | Reactive astrocytes (A1/A2 phenotype) | [5]
| Markers | GFAP, AQP4, S100B, ALDH1L1 | [6]
| Disease | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | [7]
ALS astrocytes acquire an A1-like reactive phenotype similar to that observed in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease: [8]
| Marker | Change | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| GFAP | ↑ 3-5x | Astrogliosis indicator |
| C3 | ↑ 10-50x | A1 phenotype marker |
| S100B | ↑ | Pro-inflammatory |
| EAAT2 | ↓ 50-80% | Glutamate uptake loss |
| Approach | Status | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Riluzole | Approved | Glutamate modulation |
| Edaravone | Approved | Antioxidant |
| Celecoxib | Trial | COX-2 inhibition |
| CNTF delivery | Trial | Trophic support |
| GDNF delivery | Trial | Motor neuron protection |
| Model | Features |
|---|---|
| SOD1G93A mice | Standard ALS model, rapid progression |
| SOD1G37R mice | Slower progression, later onset |
| C9orf72 mice | Models hexanucleotide expansion |
| Astrocyte-specific SOD1 | Demonstrates non-cell autonomy |
| iPSC-derived astrocytes | Patient-specific research |
The study of Astrocytes In Als has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
Lasiene J, Yamanaka K. Glial and non-cell autonomous toxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 2011. ↩︎
Phatnani HP, Guarnieri P, Friedman BA, et al. Astrocyte transcriptome and dysfunction in ALS. 2013. ↩︎
Liddelow SA, Guttenplan KA, Clarke LE, et al. Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia. 2017. ↩︎
Rossi D, Brambilla L, Valori CF, et al. Defective EAAT2 expression in SOD1-linked ALS. 2008. ↩︎
Howland DS, Liu J, She Y, et al. Focal loss of EAAT2 in a transgenic mouse model. 2002. ↩︎
Kang SH, Li Y, Fukaya M, et al. Degeneration and regeneration of corticospinal motor neurons. 2013. ↩︎
Clement AM, Nguyen MD, Roberts EA, et al. Non-cell autonomous effect of glia on motor neurons in an embryonic stem cell-based ALS model. 2003. ↩︎
Di Giorgio FP, Boulting GJ, Bobrowicz S, et al. Human embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons are sensitive to ALS-causing gene mutations. 2008. ↩︎