The Glial Revolution: How Aging Brain Support Cells Drive Neurodegeneration A new review in the Journal of Neurochemistry proposes a fundamental shift in our understanding of brain aging and disease. Moving beyond the traditional focus on neurons, the authors argue that age-related dysfunction in glial cells—astrocytes and microglia—is a primary driver of neurodegeneration. As these support cells age, they become senescent, releasing inflammatory factors that disrupt synaptic organization, impair metabolic support, and create a toxic environment that erodes neuronal resilience.

The Glial Turn: How Aging Brain Cells Drive Neurodegeneration A comprehensive review in the Journal of Neurochemistry argues for a fundamental shift in understanding neurodegenerative diseases, moving from a neuron-centric model to one focused on glial networks. The authors propose that age-related dysfunction in non-neuronal cells, particularly astrocytes, is a primary driver of brain decline. As these glial cells become senescent, they release inflammatory signals and disrupt the brain's metabolic and synaptic environment, creating a vulnerable landscape that precedes and precipitates neuronal loss in conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

The Glial Turn: How Aging Brain Cells Drive Neurodegeneration A comprehensive review in the Journal of Neurochemistry argues for a fundamental shift in our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, moving from a neuron-centric model to one focused on dysfunctional glial networks. The authors detail how astrocytes and microglia, the brain's support cells, become senescent with age, acquiring a harmful secretory profile. This chronic state of glial dysfunction and neuroinflammation disrupts synaptic integrity and metabolic support, creating a vulnerable environment that precedes and drives neuronal loss in conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

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