Glial biomarkers in human central nervous system disease. Issue 10 (26th May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garden, Gwenn A.; Campbell, Brian M.
• Other Names: Rose Christine guestEditor.; Verkhratsky Alexei guestEditor.; Möller Thomas guestEditor.; Boddeke Erik guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Glia. Volume 64:Issue 10(2016:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1755
• Page End: 1771
• Publication Date: 2016-05-26
• Subjects: cerebrospinal fluid -- inflammation -- magnetic resonance imaging -- neuroimaging -- positron emission tomography; Neuroglia -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 611.0188
• DOI: 10.1002/glia.22998
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-1491

Abstract

Abstract : There is a growing understanding that aberrant GLIA function is an underlying factor in psychiatric and neurological disorders. As drug discovery efforts begin to focus on glia‐related targets, a key gap in knowledge includes the availability of validated biomarkers to help determine which patients suffer from dysfunction of glial cells or who may best respond by targeting glia‐related drug mechanisms. Biomarkers are biological variables with a significant relationship to parameters of disease states and can be used as surrogate markers of disease pathology, progression, and/or responses to drug treatment. For example, imaging studies of the CNS enable localization and characterization of anatomical lesions without the need to isolate tissue for biopsy. Many biomarkers of disease pathology in the CNS involve assays of glial cell function and/or response to injury. Each major glia subtype (oligodendroglia, astroglia and microglia) are connected to a number of important and useful biomarkers. Here, we describe current and emerging glial based biomarker approaches for acute CNS injury and the major categories of chronic nervous system dysfunction including neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric, neoplastic, and autoimmune disorders of the CNS. These descriptions are highlighted in the context of how biomarkers are employed to better understand the role of glia in human CNS disease and in the development of novel therapeutic treatments. GLIA 2016;64:1755–1771 Main Points: Biomarkers are important tools for clinical care and therapeutic development. Glia biology is at the basis of many biomarkers of CNS disease and injury. Glia based biomarkers suggest that glia actively participate in CNS pathophysiology in several common neurological and psychiatric disorders.