In recent years, the roles of astrocytes of the central nervous system in brain function and neurological disease have drawn increasing attention. As a member of the N-myc downstream-regulated gene (NDRG) family, NDRG2 is principally expressed in astrocytes of the central nervous system. NDRG2, which is involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, is commonly regarded as a tumor suppressor. In astrocytes, NDRG2 affects the regulation of apoptosis, astrogliosis, blood–brain barrier integrity, and glutamate clearance. Several preclinical studies have revealed that NDRG2 is implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurological diseases not limited to tumors (mostly glioma in the nervous system), such as stroke, neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease), and psychiatric disorders (depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This review summarizes the biological functions of NDRG2 under physiological and pathological conditions, and further discusses the roles of NDRG2 during the occurrence and development of neurological diseases.

近年来，中枢神经系统的星形胶质细胞在脑功能和神经系统疾病中的作用引起了越来越多的关注。作为N-myc下游调节基因（NDRG）家族的成员，NDRG2主要在中枢神经系统的星形胶质细胞中表达。涉及细胞增殖和分化的NDRG2通常被认为是肿瘤抑制剂。在星形胶质细胞中，NDRG2影响细胞凋亡，星形胶质增生，血脑屏障完整性和谷氨酸清除率的调节。一些临床前研究表明，NDRG2与许多神经系统疾病的发病机理有关，这些疾病不仅限于肿瘤（主要是神经系统中的神经胶质瘤），例如中风，神经退行性疾病（阿尔茨海默氏病和帕金森氏病），和精神疾病（抑郁症和注意力缺陷多动障碍）。本文综述了NDRG2在生理和病理条件下的生物学功能，并进一步探讨了NDRG2在神经系统疾病发生和发展中的作用。