Astrocytes control multiple processes in the nervous system in health and disease. It is now clear that specific astrocyte subsets or activation states are associated with specific genomic programs and functions. The advent of novel genomic technologies has enabled rapid progress in the characterization of astrocyte heterogeneity and its control by astrocyte interactions with other cells in the central nervous system (CNS). In this review, we provide an overview of the multifaceted roles of astrocytes in the context of CNS inflammation, highlighting recent discoveries on astrocyte subsets and their regulation. We explore mechanisms of crosstalk between astrocytes and other cells in the CNS in the context of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration and discuss how these interactions shape pathological outcomes.

星形胶质细胞控制健康和疾病中神经系统的多个过程。现在很清楚，特定的星形胶质细胞亚群或激活状态与特定的基因组程序和功能有关。新型基因组技术的出现使星形胶质细胞异质性的表征及其通过星形胶质细胞与中枢神经系统 (CNS) 中其他细胞相互作用的控制取得了快速进展。在这篇综述中，我们概述了星形胶质细胞在 CNS 炎症背景下的多方面作用，重点介绍了星形胶质细胞亚群及其调节的最新发现。我们在神经炎症和神经退行性疾病的背景下探索星形胶质细胞与中枢神经系统中其他细胞之间的串扰机制，并讨论这些相互作用如何影响病理结果。