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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Rev. 2012 Jul;248(1):170–187. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.2012.01135.x

Table 1.

The role of astrocytes in demyelinating diseases.

Function Mechanism
Recruitment of immune cells to CNS lesion sites

  • Chemokine production

  • Modulation of adhesion molecule expression (eg. VCAM-1)

  • Modulation of BBB integrity
Modulation of the immune response Cytokines, chemokines, MHC, co-stimulatory molecules, secreted proteins (eg. MMPs), NO, and ligand receptor interactions (eg. Gal9-Tim3)
Termination of the immune response Induction of apoptosis
Affect neuronal and oligodendrocyte function

  • Viability (cytotoxicity or survival)

  • Regulation of axonal growth

  • Myelin breakdown and uptake (phagocytosis)
Modulation of the NG2/OPC role in remyelination

  • Attraction of NG2/OPC to lesion sites

  • Regulation of NG2/OPC migration (eg. glia scar)

  • Modulation of NG2/OPC survival, proliferation and differentiation into oligodendrocytes