Table 1.

Anti-inflammatory astrocyte functions and molecular mechanisms demonstrated in vivo by transgenic loss-of function studies in mice

Disease Model	Deleted or downregulated astrocyte type or astrocyte molecule	Functions revealed	References
Stab brain injury	Newly proliferated scar astrocyte	Repairs blood-brain barrier; Restricts inflammation; Protects neurons.	28
Spinal cord injury	Newly proliferated scar astrocyte	Repairs blood-brain barrier; Restricts inflammation; Protects neurons; Preserves motor function.	30
Spinal cord injury	STAT3	Required for scar formation; Restricts inflammation; Protects neurons; Preserves motor function.	26, 41, 54
Focal brain injury	Newly proliferated scar astrocyte	Restricts inflammation; Protects neurons.	127
Spinal cord injury	BMPR1a	Promotes scar formation; Restricts inflammation	128
Stroke	GFAP & Vim	Required for scar structure; Restricts inflammation.	31, 34
Stroke	Notch1	Promotes proliferation and scar formation; Restricts inflammation.	129, 130
Stroke	TGFβ	Restricts inflammation.	62
EAE	GFAP	Critical for border structure; Restricts inflammation.	58
EAE	CRYAB	Restricts inflammation.	70
EAE	Newly proliferated scar astrocyte	Restricts inflammation.	32, 33
EAE	GP130	Critical for barrier function; Restricts inflammation.	56
EAE	ERα	Restricts inflammation.	74, 75
EAE	A20	Blocks NFκB signaling; Restricts inflammation.	68
EAE	SHH	Maintains blood-brain barrier.	51
Infection	GP130	Critical for barrier formation; Inflammatory cell infiltration.	55
Infection	TGFβ	Inflammatory cell infiltration. Protects neurons	63
Liposomal storage disease	GFAP & Vim	Critical for border structure; Protects neurons.	59
Alzheimer’s disease model	GFAP & Vim	Critical for border structure; Reduces Aβ load; Restricts inflammation.	60
Alzheimer’s disease model	APOE	Maintains blood-brain barrier; Restricts inflammation.	53
Parkinson’s disease model	DRD2	Restricts inflammation.	69
Parkinson’s disease model	CRYAB	Restricts inflammation.	69