Glial contribution to excitatory and inhibitory synapse loss in neurodegeneration

Christopher Henstridge, Makis Tzioras, Rosa Chiara Paolicelli

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

58 Citations (Scopus)
241 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Synapse loss is an early feature shared by many neurodegenerative diseases, and it represents the major correlate of cognitive impairment. Recent studies reveal that microglia and astrocytes play a major role in synapse elimination, contributing to network dysfunction associated with neurodegeneration. Excitatory and inhibitory activity can be affected by glia-mediated synapse loss, resulting in imbalanced synaptic transmission and subsequent synaptic dysfunction. Here, we review the recent literature on the contribution of glia to excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, in the context of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying pathological synapse loss will be instrumental to design targeted therapeutic interventions, taking in account the emerging roles of microglia and astrocytes in synapse remodeling.

Original languageEnglish
Article number63
Number of pages26
JournalFrontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Volume13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Feb 2019

Keywords

  • Astrocytes
  • E/I imbalance
  • Microglia
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Synapse loss

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Glial contribution to excitatory and inhibitory synapse loss in neurodegeneration'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this