New Insights into Astrocytes in Health and Disease
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2026) | Viewed by 2230
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Astrocytes are a type of glial cell in the nervous system that perform a wide range of functions in both health and disease. Recent advances in astrocyte research have highlighted their critical roles in synaptic modulation and interactions with other cell types, including microglia and oligodendrocytes. Astrocytes are also essential for maintaining the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and controlling the exchange of ions and molecules between the bloodstream and the brain parenchyma. Furthermore, astrocytes play a central role in brain metabolism and neuroinflammation. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomic analyses from both human and mouse brains have identified novel astrocyte subtypes in health and disease, as well as common transcriptomic changes across diseases and disease-specific alterations, further highlighting their diverse and dynamic functions in the central nervous system. The objective of this Special Issue is to provide new insights into astrocyte function in health and diseases, with topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- Astrocyte heterogeneity;
- Blood–brain barrier (BBB);
- Synaptic modulation;
- Metabolic support;
- Neuroinflammation;
- Ageing;
- Neurodegenerative disorders;
- Neurodevelopmental disorders;
- Stress response.
Dr. Tao Tao
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- astrocytes heterogeneity
- blood-brain barrier (BBB)
- synaptic modulation
- metabolic support
- neuroinflammation
- ageing
- neurodegenerative disorders
- neurodevelopmental disorders
- stress response
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