Blog

Astrocytes are the most prevalent type of glial cell in the CNS and are found within the brain and spinal cord[1]. In a healthy nervous system, astrocytes play essential roles in development, regulation of blood flow (by supporting endothelial cells in the blood brain barrier), synaptic transmission and function, and energy and metabolism (by providing nutrients to neurons and synthesizing certain neurotransmitters)[2].

The loss or abnormal function of astrocytes is implicated in a wide variety of neurodegenerative disease processes. Chronic activation of astrocytes results in the formation of lesions similar to those observed in Alzheimer’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease[3]. Some useful astrocyte markers include GFAP and ALDH1L1.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a class-III intermediate filament that makes up the cytoskeleton of astrocytes in the CNS. GFAP establishes and maintains astrocyte morphology and is important for mitosis as well as neuron-astrocyte communication. Antibodies that detect GFAP are often used to label astrocytes and reveal their distinctive morphologies in the brain.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (ALDH1L1) is a key enzyme in folate metabolism and, as such, plays an important role in the regulation of cellular metabolism and proliferation. Downregulation of ALDH1L1 has been observed in tumors, leading to decreased suppression of cancer cell proliferation. Antibodies that target ALDH1L1 label the cytoplasm of astrocytes in the brain, effectively staining the cell body and processes of these cells.