Astrocytes play both physiological and pathological roles in maintaining central nervous system (CNS) function. Here, we review the varied functions of astrocytes and how these might change in subsets of reactive astrocytes. We review the current understanding of astrocyte interactions with microglia and the vasculature and protective barriers in the central nervous system as well as highlight recent insights into physiologic and reactive astrocyte sub-states identified by transcriptional profiling. Our goal is to stimulate inquiry into how these molecular identifiers link to specific functional changes in astrocytes and to define the implications of these heterogeneous molecular and functional changes in brain function and pathology. Defining these complex interactions has the potential to yield new therapies in CNS injury, infection, and disease.

星形胶质细胞在维持中枢神经系统 (CNS) 功能方面发挥生理和病理作用。在这里，我们回顾了星形胶质细胞的各种功能以及这些功能如何在反应性星形胶质细胞亚群中发生变化。我们回顾了目前对星形胶质细胞与小胶质细胞相互作用的理解以及中枢神经系统中的脉管系统和保护屏障，并强调了最近对通过转录分析确定的生理和反应性星形胶质细胞亚状态的见解。我们的目标是激发探究这些分子标识符如何与星形胶质细胞的特定功能变化相关联，并确定这些异质分子和功能变化对大脑功能和病理学的影响。定义这些复杂的相互作用有可能在 CNS 损伤、感染和疾病方面产生新的治疗方法。