Astrocytes in Space and Time

Dear Colleagues,

Astrocytes are diverse glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) supporting numerous physiological functions to maintain homeostasis in the CNS, and when homeostasis is impaired, they contribute to pathologic processes. Although many roles of astrocytes have been discovered in the last decades, various new roles are being reported, reflecting their anatomical positioning that changes during development. Astrocytes have a prominent role in integrating diverse responses to alterations in the intracellular and extracellular milieus, and respond in the time domain that is more typical for endocrine cells than for neurons. Given these important spatial and temporal aspects of their function, processes that underlie a variety of pathologic perturbations are increasingly being untangled. This Special Issue of Cells aims to bring up-to-date insight into the involvement of astrocytes in physiologic and pathologic conditions. The original research and review papers will cover topics that address homeostasis, including metabolism, signaling with vesicles entering exo- and endocytosis, and network functions where astrocytes play a key role, including inflammatory responses, responses to neurotrauma, neuroinfections, and the role of astroglia in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions.

Prof. Dr. Robert Zorec
Dr. Maja Potokar
Guest Editors

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