About this Research Topic

Background

Glia represent a heterogeneous group of cell types, widely distributed in the nervous system and constantly interacting with both neuronal and immune cells. The best characterized glial cells are astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in the central nervous system (CNS) and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In addition, the more recently identified oligodendrocyte precursor cells (or NG2-glia cells) are considered another important type of glial cells in the CNS that act as progenitors for astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and possibly for neurons. The role of glial cells under normal and pathological conditions has been partially ignored because many basic properties of their physiology and pathophysiology are still not completely understood. However, it is becoming obvious that glial cell crosstalk plays an important role in brain function during development and disease, including the modulation of homeostatic and synaptic functions, myelination, nerve signal propagation and responses to neural injury.

Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells are responsible for the production of myelin and myelination of axons in CNS and PNS, respectively. Astrocytes have an important role in blood brain barrier (BBB) maintenance, neuronal survival and in synapse formation, strength, and turnover, while microglia are now recognized as indispensable players regarding the functional properties of the nervous system as they constantly monitor the physiological milieu and act as the first line of defense against several insults. Notably, glial cell dysfunction has been observed in a broad spectrum of pathologies of the nervous system, including neurodegenerative diseases (ND) such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple system atrophy and prion diseases.

Although research in ND has been directed primarily towards the impact of neuronal populations and their correlated phenotypes in disease biology, the role of different subsets of glial cells and their activation state in ND pathophysiology is vital and merits further investigation. Hence, unraveling the mechanisms that underlie the mode of (dys)function of glial cells in ND represents a key step towards the development of novel, glial-centered therapeutic regimes that may considerably benefit patients with ND.

In this Research topic, we welcome original research articles, review articles, meta-analyses, short reports, and case studies focusing on recent advances on the role of glial cells in neurodegeneration, including but not limited to the following sub-topics:
• Role of glial cells in ND initiation and establishment
• Profiling of distinct glial subsets and impact on disease progression
• Cross-talk between glial cells in the CNS neuroinflammation
• Studies focusing on the interplay between glial cells and immune system during the course of neurodegeneration
• Tools and models for investigating functions of glial cells in ND
• Studies on glia-centered therapeutic interventions for ND

Keywords: Glial Cells, Myelination, nervous system, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, Schwann cells, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration

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