Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions

Escartin C, Galea E, Lakatos A, O’Callaghan JP, Petzold GC, Serrano-Pozo A, Steinhäuser C, Volterra A, Carmignoto G, Agarwal A, Allen NJ, Araque A, Barbeito L, Barzilai A, Bergles DE, Bonvento G, Butt AM, Chen WT, Cohen-Salmon M, Cunningham C, Deneen B, De Strooper B, Díaz-Castro B, Farina C, Freeman M, Gallo V, Goldman JE, Goldman SA, Götz M, Gutiérrez A, Haydon PG, Heiland DH, Hol EM, Holt MG, Iino M, Kastanenka KV, Kettenmann H, Khakh BS, Koizumi S, Lee CJ, Liddelow SA, MacVicar BA, Magistretti P, Messing A, Mishra A, Molofsky AV, Murai KK, Norris CM, Okada S, Oliet SH, Oliveira JF, Panatier A, Parpura V, Pekna M, Pekny M, Pellerin L, Perea G, Pérez-Nievas BG, Pfrieger FW, Poskanzer KE, Quintana FJ, Ransohoff RM, Riquelme-Perez M, Robel S, Rose CR, Rothstein JD, Rouach N, Rowitch DH, Semyanov A, Sirko S, Sontheimer H, Swanson RA, Vitorica J, Wanner IB, Wood LB, Wu J, Zheng B, Zimmer ER, Zorec R, Sofroniew MV, Verkhratsky A (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 24

Pages Range: 312-325

Journal Issue: 3

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00783-4

Abstract

Reactive astrocytes are astrocytes undergoing morphological, molecular, and functional remodeling in response to injury, disease, or infection of the CNS. Although this remodeling was first described over a century ago, uncertainties and controversies remain regarding the contribution of reactive astrocytes to CNS diseases, repair, and aging. It is also unclear whether fixed categories of reactive astrocytes exist and, if so, how to identify them. We point out the shortcomings of binary divisions of reactive astrocytes into good-vs-bad, neurotoxic-vs-neuroprotective or A1-vs-A2. We advocate, instead, that research on reactive astrocytes include assessment of multiple molecular and functional parameters—preferably in vivo—plus multivariate statistics and determination of impact on pathological hallmarks in relevant models. These guidelines may spur the discovery of astrocyte-based biomarkers as well as astrocyte-targeting therapies that abrogate detrimental actions of reactive astrocytes, potentiate their neuro- and glioprotective actions, and restore or augment their homeostatic, modulatory, and defensive functions.

Involved external institutions

Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) / Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Spain (ES) University of Cambridge United Kingdom (GB) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) United States (USA) (US) Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Germany (DE) Massachusetts General Hospital United States (USA) (US) Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn Germany (DE) Université de Lausanne (UNIL) Switzerland (CH) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) / National Research Council of Italy Italy (IT) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) Salk Institute for Biological Studies United States (USA) (US) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven Belgium (BE) Trinity College Dublin Ireland (IE) Baylor College of Medicine United States (USA) (US) University of Edinburgh United Kingdom (GB) Ospedale San Raffaele (früher: Centro San Raffaele del Monte Tabor Foundation) Italy (IT) Oregon Health and Science University (OSHU) United States (USA) (US) Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) United States (USA) (US) University of Minnesota (UMN) United States (USA) (US) Institut Pasteur de Montevideo Uruguay (UY) Tel Aviv University Israel (IL) Johns Hopkins Hospital United States (USA) (US) University of Portsmouth United Kingdom (GB) Veterans Affairs Healthcare System Boston and Harvard Medical School United States (USA) (US) Instituto de Neurobiología Ramón y Cajal Spain (ES) King’s College London United Kingdom (GB) Université de Strasbourg (UDS) France (FR) University of California San Francisco (UCSF) United States (USA) (US) Third Rock Ventures United States (USA) (US) University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY United States (USA) (US) Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Germany (DE) Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina Spain (ES) Tufts University United States (USA) (US) Universitätsklinikum Freiburg Germany (DE) University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) Netherlands (NL) Nihon University / 日本大学 Japan (JP) Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin / Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch Germany (DE) University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) United States (USA) (US) Yamanashi Gakuin University (YGU) / 山梨学院大学 Japan (JP) Institute for Basic Science Korea, Republic of (KR) New York University (NYU) United States (USA) (US) Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health Canada (CA) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) / جامعة الملك عبد الله للعلوم و التقنية Saudi Arabia (SA) University of Wisconsin - Madison United States (USA) (US) McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) / Centre universitaire de santé McGill Canada (CA) University of Kentucky HealthCare United States (USA) (US) Kyushu University / 九州大学 Japan (JP) Université de Bordeaux France (FR) Universidade do Minho Portugal (PT) University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) United States (USA) (US) Sahlgrenska University Hospital / Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset Sweden (SE) Université de Poitiers France (FR) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VirginiaTech) United States (USA) (US) Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf Germany (DE) Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute United Kingdom (GB) M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Federation (RU) Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases / Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) Spain (ES) The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior United States (USA) (US) George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering United States (USA) (US) University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) United States (USA) (US) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) United States (USA) (US) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) Brazil (BR) University of Ljubljana (UL) / Univerza v Ljubljani Slovenia (SI) University of Manchester United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Escartin, C., Galea, E., Lakatos, A., O’Callaghan, J.P., Petzold, G.C., Serrano-Pozo, A.,... Verkhratsky, A. (2021). Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions. Nature Neuroscience, 24(3), 312-325. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-00783-4

MLA:

Escartin, Carole, et al. "Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions." Nature Neuroscience 24.3 (2021): 312-325.

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