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Radiation-Induced Brain Injury with Special Reference to Astrocytes as a Therapeutic Target
Caiping Wang1,2, Xingjuan Fan3, Yunwei Shi1,2
1Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
|March 28, 2025
Summary
Radiation can harm brain astrocytes, leading to injury and cognitive decline. Targeting these glial cells offers a new approach for treating radiation-induced brain damage and related disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Radiotherapy is crucial for cancer treatment, improving survival but causing radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI).
- Astrocytes are vital for brain homeostasis, yet their response to radiation is poorly understood.
- Existing research lacks a comprehensive review of radiation's effects on astrocytes and associated pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neurophysiological roles of astrocytes post-radiation exposure.
- To elucidate pathophysiological changes in astrocytes, including astrogliosis and astrosenescence.
- To summarize astrocyte involvement in radiation-induced neurogenesis and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current studies on radiation effects on astrocytes.
- Analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying astrocytepathophysiology.
- Synthesis of astrocyte roles in radiation-induced neurological impairments.
Main Results:
- Radiation exposure induces significant pathophysiological changes in astrocytes, such as astrogliosis and astrosenescence.
- Astrocytes play a key role in radiation-induced impairments of neurogenesis and BBB integrity.
- Specific molecular and cellular mechanisms driving these astrocyte alterations have been identified.
Conclusions:
- Brain astrocytes are significantly impacted by radiation, contributing to RIBI.
- Astrocytes represent promising therapeutic targets for mitigating RIBI and associated neurological disorders.
- Further research into astrocyte-centric therapies could improve patient outcomes after radiotherapy.
