About this Research Topic
Aging, defined as dynamic changes on a physiological, psychological, biological, and social level, is a serious problem faced by human society right now because it burdens and challenges the global socioeconomic context. Moreover, the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, increases with aging.
Neuroinflammation usually goes along the progression of aging and neurodegenerative diseases and it is significantly influenced by microglia and astrocytes. Microglia and astrocytes can be activated by different factors and they have two polarized states: the pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1 and A1, respectively) and the anti-inflammatory phenotype (M2 and A2, respectively). However, it is hard to divide the microglia and the astrocytes into this dichotomized classification when found in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the goal of this Research Topic is to feature research on the function of the microglia and astrocytes during aging and the different stages of neurodegenerative diseases (preclinical and clinical research). Questions of interest include, but are not restricted to:
• What is the role of microglia and astrocytes in aging?
• How does neuroinflammation accelerate or slow down the neurodegenerative progression?
• Do meninges and immune cells around peripheral nerves play a role in the different stages of a neurodegenerative disease?
• What are the mechanisms by which microglia and astrocytes influence neurodegeneration?
• How does neuroinflammation influence neuron function?
Neuroinflammation usually goes along the progression of aging and neurodegenerative diseases and it is significantly influenced by microglia and astrocytes. Microglia and astrocytes can be activated by different factors and they have two polarized states: the pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1 and A1, respectively) and the anti-inflammatory phenotype (M2 and A2, respectively). However, it is hard to divide the microglia and the astrocytes into this dichotomized classification when found in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the goal of this Research Topic is to feature research on the function of the microglia and astrocytes during aging and the different stages of neurodegenerative diseases (preclinical and clinical research). Questions of interest include, but are not restricted to:
• What is the role of microglia and astrocytes in aging?
• How does neuroinflammation accelerate or slow down the neurodegenerative progression?
• Do meninges and immune cells around peripheral nerves play a role in the different stages of a neurodegenerative disease?
• What are the mechanisms by which microglia and astrocytes influence neurodegeneration?
• How does neuroinflammation influence neuron function?
Keywords: Aging, Neurodegeneration, Immune Cells, Microglia, Astrocyte, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), Multiple sclerosis (MS)
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