WCN 2021 | Varying functions of astrocyte subsets in MS pathology

Francisco Quintana, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, comments on the protective and pathogenic roles of astrocyte subtypes contributing to health and disease within the central nervous system (CNS). Prof Quintana explains that proteomic and genomic analyses have enabled the characterization of different astrocytes subsets with varying functions. For instance, in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a subset of astrocytes that promotes neurotoxicity was found to be significantly expanded in comparison to healthy individuals. Conversely, another astrocyte subset was reported to limit CNS inflammation by inducing apoptosis of T-cells entering the CNS. This interview took place during the XXV World Congress of Neurology. Research is ongoing to characterize individual cell subsets and determine how they act in MS pathology. This interview took place during the XXV World Congress of Neurology.