Astrocytes and their phenomenal possibilities in the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders: an overview

Abstract

At present, research in the field of the brain does not cease to surprise us with new facts and discoveries that no one could have suspected about 30 years ago. But it was at the time when it became clear that the cerebral neurons are not the only cells that can respond to changes in the external environment. A real scientific boom began to study a heterogeneous group called glia. And scientists are paying close attention to the largest of them - astrocytes. Understanding the importance of astrocytes in the mechanisms of repair and damage to brain cells in various forms of CNS pathology determines the possibility of targeted search for drugs that affect the rate of development of reactive astrogliosis in response to various brain injuries. At the same time, pharmacological modulation of activated astrocytes and other components of glia can be an integral part of the therapy of neurological diseases