Title:Bidirectional Communication Between Microglia and Astrocytes in
Neuroinflammation
Volume: 21
Issue: 10
Author(s): Anup Bhusal, Ruqayya Afridi, Won-Ha Lee and Kyoungho Suk*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, BK21 plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook
National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Brain Science and Engineering Institute,
Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea
Keywords:
Microglia, astrocytes, crosstalk, neuroinflammation, glia, central nervous system.
Abstract: Neuroinflammation is a common feature of diverse nervous system pathologies. In many
instances, it begins at an early stage of the disease, paving the way for further exacerbations. The main
drivers of neuroinflammation are brain-resident glial cells, such as microglia and astrocytes. Microglia
are the primary responders to any insult to the brain parenchyma, translating the signals into diverse
molecules. These molecules derived from microglia can regulate the stimuli-dependent reactivity of
astrocytes. Once activated, astrocytes in turn, can control microglia phenotypes. Recent evidence indicates
that the crosstalk between these glial cells plays an important role in delaying or accelerating
neuroinflammation and overall disease progression. To date, various molecules have been recognized
as key mediators of the bidirectional communication between microglia and astrocytes. The current
review aims to discuss the novel molecules identified recently, which play a critical role in interglial
crosstalk, highlighting their therapeutic potential.