Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of heterogeneous disorders affecting brain development and function and are characterized by genetic and clinical variability. Several lines of evidence suggest that glial cells play a critical role during neurodevelopment and the dysregulation of their interactions with neurons is thought to contribute to many neurodevelopmental disorders. Reactive microglia have been observed in the brain of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, and several ASD and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) animal models have shown that neuron-glia interactions are involved in the disease. For instance, microglia from schizophrenia patients have been demonstrated to increase synapse elimination in vitro. In addition, neurons grown on FMR1-deficient astrocytes exhibit morphological defects, indicating that astrocytes may be involved in the pathogenesis of Fragile X syndrome. Conditional reactivation of MeCP2 in GFAP-positive cells has also shown that defects in MeCP2-deficient mice can be partially rescued, supporting the idea that astrocytes may play a role in mediating disease severity. In multiple animal models of ASD have been further observed a decreased proliferation of oligodendrocytes and low levels of Myelin Basic Protein, mirroring the deficiencies in axonal myelination that are often observed in ASD patients.
Additionally, alteration of the excitation/inhibition balance has also been described in ASD, epilepsy and ADHD, where astrocytes and microglia play a crucial role in synaptic modulation, via synaptic pruning and gliotransmission. Targeting glial-related mechanisms in these diseases may be a path for new promising treatments, however, most pre-clinical and clinical studies have so far focused on neurons. Disease severity is gender-dependent in many neurodevelopmental disorders, nevertheless the differences between males and females in terms of neuron-glia interactions in a disease context has been underexplored.
The goal of this research topic is to emphasize the critical role of glial cells in neurodevelopmental disorders and to help in understanding the molecular basis of these various disorders. We encourage the submission of Original Research and Review articles with a focus on, but not limited to:
- New findings regarding the role played by microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in neurodevelopmental disorders, using animal or human cell models
- Studies on the efficiency of therapeutic compounds acting on glial cells in neurodevelopmental disorders
- Human studies on glial cell alterations in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including post-mortem analysis of brain tissue and functional studies
- Differences between the sexes in glial cell physiology and function in health and disease
- Mechanisms underlying the altered cross-talk between glia and neurons in models of neurodevelopmental disorders
- Novel tools to probe glial signaling and function in vivo
- Glial regulation of neuronal function in models of neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of heterogeneous disorders affecting brain development and function and are characterized by genetic and clinical variability. Several lines of evidence suggest that glial cells play a critical role during neurodevelopment and the dysregulation of their interactions with neurons is thought to contribute to many neurodevelopmental disorders. Reactive microglia have been observed in the brain of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, and several ASD and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) animal models have shown that neuron-glia interactions are involved in the disease. For instance, microglia from schizophrenia patients have been demonstrated to increase synapse elimination in vitro. In addition, neurons grown on FMR1-deficient astrocytes exhibit morphological defects, indicating that astrocytes may be involved in the pathogenesis of Fragile X syndrome. Conditional reactivation of MeCP2 in GFAP-positive cells has also shown that defects in MeCP2-deficient mice can be partially rescued, supporting the idea that astrocytes may play a role in mediating disease severity. In multiple animal models of ASD have been further observed a decreased proliferation of oligodendrocytes and low levels of Myelin Basic Protein, mirroring the deficiencies in axonal myelination that are often observed in ASD patients.
Additionally, alteration of the excitation/inhibition balance has also been described in ASD, epilepsy and ADHD, where astrocytes and microglia play a crucial role in synaptic modulation, via synaptic pruning and gliotransmission. Targeting glial-related mechanisms in these diseases may be a path for new promising treatments, however, most pre-clinical and clinical studies have so far focused on neurons. Disease severity is gender-dependent in many neurodevelopmental disorders, nevertheless the differences between males and females in terms of neuron-glia interactions in a disease context has been underexplored.
The goal of this research topic is to emphasize the critical role of glial cells in neurodevelopmental disorders and to help in understanding the molecular basis of these various disorders. We encourage the submission of Original Research and Review articles with a focus on, but not limited to:
- New findings regarding the role played by microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in neurodevelopmental disorders, using animal or human cell models
- Studies on the efficiency of therapeutic compounds acting on glial cells in neurodevelopmental disorders
- Human studies on glial cell alterations in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including post-mortem analysis of brain tissue and functional studies
- Differences between the sexes in glial cell physiology and function in health and disease
- Mechanisms underlying the altered cross-talk between glia and neurons in models of neurodevelopmental disorders
- Novel tools to probe glial signaling and function in vivo
- Glial regulation of neuronal function in models of neurodevelopmental disorders
