Are all astrocytes the same in Parkinson’s?
Astrocytes represent a brain cell type that is found across all areas of the brain. Depending on the region, they comprise 1/3rd – 2/3rds of all cells, and network coupling is an important feature of all astrocytes.
However, multiple differences have been noted among astrocytic populations, both within and between brain regions. What this means for Parkinson’s disease is not yet entirely understood, but we know that the Parkinson’s pathology (such as alpha-synuclein inclusions and cell degeneration) is typically unevenly distributed across the brain. Diverse types of astrocytes could play a role in determining vulnerability of specific areas to the Parkinson’s pathology development.
Find out more in the poster presented at the EuroGlia conference: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.99935