Figure 2.

Astrocyte phenotype in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In AD pathology, morphological changes in astrocytes depend on the stage of disease and proximity to amyloid plaques (APs; A). Astrocyte atrophy occurs at early stages of AD, before plaque formation, as well as in non-plaque associated astrocytes at later stages of disease (B). Atrophic astrocytes present reduced number and thinner cellular processes, which is accompanied by diminished volume and somata volume, compared to healthy or resting astrocytes (C). Astrocyte hypertrophy is mainly observed in astrocytes surrounding APs at later stages of AD. They show opposite features in comparison to atrophic astrocytes.