Astrocytes are specialized glial cells that outnumber neurons by over fivefold. They contiguously tile the entire central nervous system (CNS) and exert many essential complex functions in the healthy CNS. Astrocytes respond to all forms of CNS insults through a process referred to as reactive astrogliosis, which has become a pathological hallmark of CNS structural lesions. Substantial progress has been made recently in determining functions and mechanisms of reactive astrogliosis and in identifying roles of astrocytes in CNS disorders and pathologies. A vast molecular arsenal at the disposal of reactive astrocytes is being defined. Transgenic mouse models are dissecting specific aspects of reactive astrocytosis and glial scar formation in vivo. Astrocyte involvement in specific clinicopathological entities is being defined. It is now clear that reactive astrogliosis is not a simple all-or-none phenomenon but is a finely gradated continuum of changes that occur in context-dependent manners regulated by specific signaling events. These changes range from reversible alterations in gene expression and cell hypertrophy with preservation of cellular domains and tissue structure, to long-lasting scar formation with rearrangement of tissue structure. Increasing evidence points towards the potential of reactive astrogliosis to play either primary or contributing roles in CNS disorders via loss of normal astrocyte functions or gain of abnormal effects. This article reviews (1) astrocyte functions in healthy CNS, (2) mechanisms and functions of reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation, and (3) ways in which reactive astrocytes may cause or contribute to specific CNS disorders and lesions.

/pdf/astrocytes-biology-and-pathology-2hq13zf0bo.pdf

Astrocytes: biology and pathology

https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/pdf/S0166-2236(09)00153-2.pdf

Molecular dissection of reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation.

Macrophages dominate sites of CNS injury in which they promote both injury and repair. These divergent effects may be caused by distinct macrophage subsets, i.e., "classically activated" proinflammatory (M1) or "alternatively activated" anti-inflammatory (M2) cells. Here, we show that an M1 macrophage response is rapidly induced and then maintained at sites of traumatic spinal cord injury and that this response overwhelms a comparatively smaller and transient M2 macrophage response. The high M1/M2 macrophage ratio has significant implications for CNS repair. Indeed, we present novel data showing that only M1 macrophages are neurotoxic and M2 macrophages promote a regenerative growth response in adult sensory axons, even in the context of inhibitory substrates that dominate sites of CNS injury (e.g., proteoglycans and myelin). Together, these data suggest that polarizing the differentiation of resident microglia and infiltrating blood monocytes toward an M2 or "alternatively" activated macrophage phenotype could promote CNS repair while limiting secondary inflammatory-mediated injury.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/29/43/13435.full.pdf

Identification of two distinct macrophage subsets with divergent effects causing either neurotoxicity or regeneration in the injured mouse spinal cord.

Degeneration and regeneration of the nervous system

http://icnapedia.org/ezproxy.online.journal/20670828.pdf

The Science of Stroke: Mechanisms in Search of Treatments

After injury to the adult central nervous system (CNS), injured axons cannot regenerate past the lesion. In this review, we present evidence that this is due to the formation of a glial scar. Chondroitin and keratan sulphate proteoglycans are among the main inhibitory extracellular matrix molecules that are produced by reactive astrocytes in the glial scar, and they are believed to play a crucial part in regeneration failure. We will focus on this role, as well as considering the behaviour of regenerating neurons in the environment of CNS injury.

/pdf/regeneration-beyond-the-glial-scar-tnk3lt4e77.pdf

Regeneration beyond the glial scar

We have developed a novel in vitro model of the glial scar that mimics the gradient of proteoglycan found in vivo after spinal cord injury. In this model, regenerated axons from adult sensory neurons that extended deeply into the gradient developed bulbous, vacuolated endings that looked remarkably similar to dystrophic endings formed in vivo. We demonstrate that despite their highly abnormal appearance and stalled forward progress, dystrophic endings are extremely dynamic both in vitro and in vivo after spinal cord injury. Time-lapse movies demonstrated that dystrophic endings continually send out membrane veils and endocytose large membrane vesicles at the leading edge, which were then retrogradely transported to the rear of the "growth cone." This direction of movement is contrary to membrane dynamics that occur during normal neurite outgrowth. As further evidence of this motility, dystrophic endings endocytosed large amounts of dextran both in vitro and in vivo. We now have an in vitro model of the glial scar that may serve as a potent tool for developing and screening potential treatments to help promote regeneration past the lesion in vivo.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/24/29/6531.full.pdf

Studies on the development and behavior of the dystrophic growth cone, the hallmark of regeneration failure, in an in vitro model of the glial scar and after spinal cord injury.

831 Prelesion but Not Postlesion Inflammation Plus Proteoglycan Degradation Results in Functional Regeneration

Intraoperative Crisis Management in Spine Surgery: What To Do When Things Go Bad

Erratum: Chronic enhancement of the intrinsic growth capacity of sensory neurons combined with the degradation of inhibitory proteoglycans allows functional regeneration of sensory axons through the dorsal root entry zone in the mammalian spinal cord (Journal of Neuroscience (August 31, 2005) (8066-8076))

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Regeneration beyond the glial scar

Studies on the development and behavior of the dystrophic growth cone, the hallmark of regeneration failure, in an in vitro model of the glial scar and after spinal cord injury.

831 Prelesion but Not Postlesion Inflammation Plus Proteoglycan Degradation Results in Functional Regeneration

Intraoperative Crisis Management in Spine Surgery: What To Do When Things Go Bad