About this Research Topic

Background

Recent discoveries have shown that glial cells control a wide range of nervous system functions, including the migration of neural cells during development, the creation of structural matrix to embed neurons, the adjustment and timing of neuronal excitability, the provision of a fast impulse conduction pathway, the insulation of neurons with biochemical and electrical barriers, as well as domain specialisation on axons. Glial cell dysfunction causes neurological illnesses include a wide range of brain conditions, including stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and cerebral palsy. The main focus of this research topic is collecting papers on glial cell function in disease and normal physiology.



We know very little about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate glial tiling, or the functional roles underlying this cellular behaviour. A true understanding of the complexity of the healthy or diseased nervous system cannot be achieved without a deeper understanding of the fundamental rules that govern this glial patterning. Optogenetics, chemogenetics, viral transgene expression, transcriptional profiling, metabolomics, and genetically encoded biosensors all aid in elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind these activities and in comprehending the diverse nature of glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Taken together, the available data clearly suggests that glial cells play a critical role in brain circuit control, resulting in both short- and long-range plasticity and, finally, behavioural changes under healthy and pathological circumstances.



In this Research Topic, we seek Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Perspective, Clinical Trial, Case Report, and Opinion articles that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics. Examples of contributions include (but are not limited to) methodological and tool development in order to better understand glial cell function, glial regulation of neuronal fate and response, as well as neuronal regulation of glial cell function, as well as a better understanding of glial cell function, and a more refined understanding of glial cell function in relation to nervous system recovery after injury and neurological diseases.



(1) The role of glial cells in neurodegeneration;



(2) Spatial and temporal diversity of glial phenotypes in neurodegenerative disorders;



(3) The regulation of glial cells in neurodegeneration;



(4) The pathological role of glia in neurodegenerative disorders;



(5) Immunological functions of glia in neurodegenerative disorders;



(6) Single-cell analysis of glial modulation in neurodegenerative disease models;



(7) Therapeutic strategies and clinical interventions by the modulation of glial cell function in neurodegeneration.

Keywords: Gene, Neurodegeneration, Basis, Clinical, Experimental, Glia, Tiling, Nervous system, Gliosis, Inflammation, Pathogenesis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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