Astrocytes Functions and Their Involvement in Brain Injury: A Focus on the Biomaterials' Role in Mitigating Traumatic Brain Injury

Astrocytes Functions and Their Involvement in Brain Injury: A Focus on the Biomaterials' Role in Mitigating Traumatic Brain Injury

Youssef Ait Hamdan, Mohammed Rhazi, Bilal El-Mansoury, Hamid Kabdy, Mjid Oukhrib, Abdelfettah Ait Baba, Adil Elhousseini, Zainab Haïdar Ahmad, Hassane Oudadesse
Copyright: © 2024 |Pages: 19
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9675-6.ch008
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Abstract

Brain injury is damage to the brain caused by external forces. They are the leading cause of death and ill health in young men, with a high incidence worldwide. Glial cells make up the majority of central nervous system cells and play a key role in the brain's response to brain injury. Astrocytes play a crucial role in maintaining the brain's ionic and water balance, energy metabolism, regulation of the blood-brain barrier and immune response. In response to brain injury, astrocytes undergo morphological and behavioral changes that modify their protein expression. To sustain astrocytic responses in certain severe situations, therapeutic strategies that make use of biomaterials represent a significant advance in the field of regenerative medicine, as they create a microenvironment more conducive to nerve tissue regeneration. This chapter examines the behavior and responses of astrocytes to brain injury in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as looking at the implication of biomaterials in the treatment of TBI.
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Role Of Astrocytes In Brain Health

Astrocytes are a type of glial cell in the CNS that play a crucial role in maintaining brain health and supporting the function of neurons. They are highly versatile and perform a wide range of functions to ensure the proper functioning of the brain (Jessen, 2004). Here are some of the key functions of astrocytes:

  • 1.

    Neurotransmitter Regulation

One of the important functions of astrocytes is the regulation of neurotransmitter levels in the brain (Kim et al., 2019). Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals between neurons, and astrocytes help to maintain the proper balance of these chemicals in the brain. Astrocytes also regulate synaptic transmission and play a role in the formation of new memories, long-term potentiation (LTP), and functional synaptic plasticity (Ota et al., 2013). In addition, astrocytes are involved in the regulation of brain metabolism, controlling blood-brain barrier permeability, and the neuro-repair process (Chiareli et al., 2021). Astrocytes cooperate with neurons on several levels, including neurotransmitter trafficking and recycling, ion homeostasis, and energy metabolism (Michinaga & Koyama, 2019) (Bélanger & Magistretti, 2022). In essence, astrocytes are pivotal in overseeing brain function and are indispensable for the maintenance of appropriate neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

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