The elusive varicose astrocytes

Rune Nguyen Rasmussen; Nathan Anthony Smith

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2021.11.003

The elusive varicose astrocytes

Trends Neurosci. 2022 Feb;45(2):94-95. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.11.003. Epub 2021 Nov 22.

Authors

Rune Nguyen Rasmussen¹, Nathan Anthony Smith²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
² Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: nasmith2@cnmc.org.

PMID: 34823901
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.11.003

Abstract

The evolutionary pattern of different astrocyte types across animal species remains unresolved. In a recent study, Falcone and colleagues revealed that varicose projection astrocytes, a rare form of astrocyte characterized by long varicosities-containing processes, are exclusively found in hominoid brains while being absent from other primate brains.

Keywords: cortex cell type; evolution; glia; human; primates.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Animals
Astrocytes*
Biological Evolution
Brain
Humans
Primates*

Grants and funding

K01 NS110981/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States