Year: 2025
Type: review
Abstract: Normal aging alters brain functions and phenotypes. However, it is not well understood how astrocytes are impacted by aging, nor how they contribute to neuronal dysfunction and disease risk as organisms age. Here, we examine the transcriptional, cell biology, and functional differences in astrocytes across normal aging. Astrocytes at baseline are heterogenous, responsive to their environments, and critical regulators of brain microenvironments and neuronal function. With increasing age, astrocytes adopt different immune-related and senescence-associated states, which relate to organelle dysfunction and loss of homeostasis maintenance, both cell autonomously and non-cell autonomously. These perturbed states are increasingly associated with age-related dysfunction and the onset of neurodegeneration, suggesting that astrocyte aging is a compelling target for future manipulation in the prevention of disease.
Source: Molecular Neurodegeneration
Authors: Holly K. Gildea, Shane A. Liddelow
Institutions: New York University, NYU Langone Health
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
OpenAlex ID: W4407774414