Regional brain susceptibility to neurodegeneration: what is the role of glial cells?

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 838 - 842
• Main Authors: Cragnolini, Andrea, Lampitella, Giorgia, Virtuoso, Assunta, Viscovo, Immacolata, Panetsos, Fivos, Papa, Michele, Cirillo, Giovanni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.05.2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba%Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas(IIByT),CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina%Human Anatomy and Laboratory of Morphology of Neuronal Networks, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: astrocytes; glial cells; microglia; neurodegenerative diseases; neuroinflammation; parkinson’s disease; reactive gliosis; selective neuronal degeneration; Brain; Development and progression; Disease; Extracellular matrix; Genotype & phenotype; Homeostasis; Metabolism; Morphology; Nervous system diseases; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons; Neurophysiology; Review; glial cells; neurodegenerative diseases; reactive gliosis; neuroinflammation; astrocytes; selective neuronal degeneration; microglia; Parkinson’s disease; Parkinson's disease
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.268897

The main pathological feature of the neurodegenerative diseases is represented by neuronal death that represents the final step of a cascade of adverse/hostile events. Early in the neurodegenerative process, glial cells (including astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes) activate and trigger an insidious neuroinflammatory reaction, metabolic decay, blood brain barrier dysfunction and energy impairment, boosting neuronal death. How these mechanisms might induce selective neuronal death in specific brain areas are far from being elucidated. The last two decades of neurobiological studies have provided evidence of the main role of glial cells in most of the processes of the central nervous system, from development to synaptogenesis, neuronal homeostasis and integration into, highly specific neuro-glial networks. In this mini-review, we moved from in vitro and in vivo models of neurodegeneration to analyze the putative role of glial cells in the early mechanisms of neurodegeneration. We report changes of transcriptional, genetic, morphological, and metabolic activity in astrocytes and microglial cells in specific brain areas before neuronal degeneration, providing evidence in experimental models of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Understanding these mechanisms might increase the insight of these processes and pave the way for new specific glia-targeted therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.