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Review
. 2021 Dec;15(1):87-93.
doi: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1930852.

On the reactive states of astrocytes in prion diseases

Ilia V Baskakov  1
Affiliations
Review

On the reactive states of astrocytes in prion diseases

Ilia V Baskakov. Prion. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Transformation of astrocytes into reactive states is considered one of the major pathological hallmarks of prion and other neurodegenerative diseases. Recent years witnessed a growing appreciation of the view that reactive astrocytes are intimately involved in chronic neurodegeneration; however, little is known about their role in disease pathogenesis. The current article reviews the progress of the last few years and critically discusses controversial questions of whether reactive astrocytes associated with prion diseases are neurotoxic or neuroprotective and whether bidirectional A1-A2 model is applicable for describing polarization of astrocytes. Moreover, other important topics, including reversibility of a transition to a reactive state, along with the role of microglia and other stimuli in triggering astrocyte activation are reviewed. Defining the role of reactive astrocytes in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases will open unrealized opportunities for developing new therapeutic approaches against prion and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: Prion; prion diseases; reactive astrocytes; reactive microglia.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The diagram illustrating that in neurodegenerative diseases, instead of polarization according to the bidirectional A1-A2 or neurotoxic-neuroprotective model, reactive astrocytes adopt multiple, disease-specific states dictated in part by a nature of an insult. Within individual diseases, reactive states might vary across brain regions at any given time point of the disease (represented by dark and light grey arrows)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Schematic diagram illustrating that dysregulation of multiple neuroprotective and neurotoxic mechanisms might contribute to defining a net outcome of reactive astrocyte phenotype
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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