In this first issue of Neuroglia, it is highly appropriate that Professor Jorge A. Colombo at the Unit of Applied Neurobiology (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, writes a perspective of idiosyncrasies of astrocytes in the human brain. M...
Overexposure of humans to heavy metals and essential metals poses a significant risk for the development of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. The mechanisms through which these metals exert their effects include the generation of reactiv...
Neuroscience, like most other divisions of natural philosophy, emerged in the Hellenistic world following the first experimental discoveries of the nerves connecting the brain with the body. The first fundamental doctrine on brain function highlighte...
The human central nervous system is convolutedly connected to the gut microbiome, a diverse community of microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal tract. Recent research has highlighted the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome...
In the adult mammalian forebrain, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), also known as NG2 glia are distributed ubiquitously throughout the gray and white matter. They remain proliferative and continuously generate myelinating oligodendrocytes throu...
Introduction: Mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged mitochondria, is essential for maintaining cellular health and function, particularly in high-energy demanding post-mitotic cells like neurons and in microglial cells. Aging results in imp...
Microglia, the unique and motile immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), function as a security guard in maintaining CNS homeostasis, primarily through calcium signaling. The calcium dynamics in microglia control important functions such as...
Vertebrate neurons are enormously variable in morphology and distribution. While different glial cell types do exist, they are much less diverse than neurons. Over the last decade, we have conducted quantitative studies of the absolute numbers, densi...
Obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with cognitive impairment, known as diabetic cognopathy. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that neurovascular unit(s) (NVU) within cerebral cortical gray matter regions di...
Obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with diabetic cognopathy. This study tested the hypothesis that neurovascular unit(s) (NVU) within cerebral cortical gray matter regions may depict abnormal cellular remodeling....
Astrocytes are involved in many diseases of the central nervous system, not only as reactive cells to neuronal damage but also as primary actors in the pathological process. Astrogliopathy is a term used to designate the involvement of astrocytes as...
Neuron-glia antigen 2-expressing glial cells (NG2 glia) serve as oligodendrocyte progenitors during development and adulthood. However, recent studies have shown that these cells represent not only a transitional stage along the oligodendroglial line...
In the field of neuroscience and, more specifically glial cell biology, one of the most fundamentally intriguing and enduring questions has been “how many neuronal cells—neurones and glia—are there in the human brain?”. From the outset, the driving f...
The importance of astrocytic l-lactate (LL) for normal functioning of neural circuits such as those regulating learning/memory, sleep/wake state, autonomic homeostasis, or emotional behaviour is being increasingly recognised. l-Lactate can act on neu...
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralleled the great Spanish flu pandemic of 1918–1919 in the United States. Previous historical accounts have strongly suggested a post-viral syndrome and, currently, a post-COVID-19 viral syndrome is unquestionable, which...
This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the main types, subtypes, clinical manifestations, and current therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis, emphasizing recent advancements and clinical challenges. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is...
Obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with diabetic cognopathy. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that neurovascular unit(s) (NVU), oligodendrocytes, and myelin within cerebral cortical grey matter and deeper...
Due to strong electrical coupling, syncytial isopotentiality emerges as a physiological mechanism that coordinates astrocytes into a highly efficient system in brain homeostasis. Although this electrophysiological phenomenon has now been observed in...
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly intricate neurovascular structure that plays a crucial role in maintaining neural homeostasis by selectively allowing certain molecules to enter the central nervous system (CNS). However, in the context...
Microglia are exceptionally dynamic resident innate immune cells within the central nervous system, existing on a continuum of morphologies and functions throughout their lifespan. They play vital roles in response to injuries and infections, clearin...
Brain cancer is a heterogeneous collection of malignant neoplasms, such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), astrocytomas and medulloblastomas, with high morbidity and mortality. Its treatment is complicated by the tumor’s site, infiltrative growt...
Astrocytes are the most common type of glial cell in the central nervous system (CNS). They have many different functions that go beyond just supporting other cells. Astrocytes were once thought of as passive parts of the CNS. However, now they are k...
Background: Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and spinal cord injury (SCI) are significant global health challenges due to their complex pathology and limited therapeutic options. C...
This review aims to highlight the various significant matters in glial research stemming from personal work by the author and associates at the Unit of Applied Neurobiology (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET), and some of the pending questions. A reassessment and f...
Oligodendrocytes are specialized glial cells that myelinate central nervous system (CNS) axons. Historically, it was believed that the primary role of myelin was to compactly ensheath axons, providing the insulation necessary for rapid signal conduct...
Humans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit sleep disturbances that include insomnia, nightmares, and enhanced daytime sleepiness. Sleep disturbances are considered a hallmark feature of PTSD; however, little is known about the cellular...
Neuroimmunomodulation is a promising form of drug-free treatment for neurological diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to depression. The evidence supporting the efficacy of focused ultrasound (FUS) neuroimmunomodulation is encouraging; ho...
The central nervous system (CNS) relies on complex and dynamic interactions between neurons and glial cells. Among glial cells, astrocytes regulate the chemical environment surrounding neurons and supply essential nutrients for brain metabolism where...
Microglia and macrophages are critical immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS), with distinct roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. Once viewed as passive bystanders, these cells are now recognized for their dynamic phenotypic...
Background/Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition marked by challenges in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. Recent studies highlight the crucial roles of neuroglial cel...
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an extremely malignant type of brain cancer which originates from astrocytes or their precursors. Glioblastoma multiforme cells share some features with astrocytes but are characterized by highly unstable genomes with...
Neurotrauma injuries are notoriously difficult to deal with both clinically as well as experimentally, as the cellular and molecular events ensuing after injury complicate the neuroinflammatory processes. Spinal cord injuries are further complicated...
The activation of members of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) family (including ErbB) triggers pathways that have significant effects on cellular processes and have profound consequences both in physiological and pathological conditions. W...
Neurovascular coupling is a key control mechanism in cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation. Importantly, this process was demonstrated to be affected in several neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the basis for...
Background/Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that leads to a cascade of cellular and molecular events, resulting in both primary and secondary damage. Among the many cells involved in the post-SCI environment, glial cell...
Inward rectifying potassium (Kir) channels comprise a large family with diverse biophysical properties. A predominant feature of central nervous system (CNS) glia is their expression of Kir4.1, which as homomers are weakly rectifying channels, but fo...
Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) is an umbrella term that encompasses a spectrum of morphological abnormalities seen in astrocytes of the aging brain using immunostaining for pathological forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Morph...
Contemporary research has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit aberrant immunological function, with a shift toward increased cytokine production and unusual cell function. Microglia and astroglia were found to be significant...
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are clinically distinct, yet share synaptic dysfunction as a common brain pathophysiology. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Hunt...
Brain tumors necessitate swift detection and classification for optimal patient outcomes. Deep learning has been extensively utilized to recognize complex tumor patterns in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, aiding in tumor diagnosis, treatment...
Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Experimental models that replic...
High-grade gliomas are aggressive, primary, central nervous system tumors with low survival rates due to recurrence and resistance to current therapy models. Recent studies have highlighted the importance between the interaction of glioma cancer cell...
Neurodegenerative diseases represent a significant global health burden, characterized by progressive loss of neuronal function and structure. While traditionally viewed as primarily neuronal disorders, recent research has highlighted the crucial rol...
The unique properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have made them interesting candidates for applications in biomedicine. There are diverse chemical groups that can be attached to SWCNTs in order for these tiny tubes to gain various fun...
Astrocytes are the predominant glial cells that provide essential support to neurons and promote microenvironment changes in neuropathological states. Astrocyte and astrocytic-like cell culture have substantially contributed to elucidating the molecu...
Several protocols have been developed with the aim of characterizing glial and immune cells from the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, a small number of these protocols have demonstrated the ability to yield satisfactory results follow...
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is known as the main inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), where it hyperpolarizes mature neurons through activation of GABAA receptors, pentameric complexes assembled by combination of subunits (&...
Astrocytes and microglia play important roles in organizing the structure and function of neuronal networks in the central nervous system (CNS). The dorsal diencephalic connection system (DDCS) is a phylogenetically ancient regulatory system by which...
Mood and anxiety disorders are heterogeneous psychiatric diagnoses affecting millions. While the disease etiology is complex, various risk factors have been identified, such as stress. Stress is a neuroendocrine physiologic response to a stressor tha...
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an essential neurotransmitter and an important regulator of neuroinflammation and disease. Microglia are important immune cells in the brain that express GABA receptors (GABAR) and respond to both GABA and GABAR agon...
