Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (Feb 2015)
Workshop in Electrical Neuromodulation of astrocytes as therapeutic approach
Abstract
Astrocytes, the most abundant cell in the Central Nervous System (CNS), modulate synaptic activity and provide metabolic and trophic support to neurons. It has been shown that during chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases astrocytes produce a set of molecules that can be beneficial or detrimental to neurons. In addition, astrocytes have changes in the expression and activity of different proteins like enzymes and membrane proteins that modulate their response during these diseases. A common therapeutic approach to the treatment of some CNS diseases, is the use of electrical neuromodulation (ENM) of the brain areas involved in the disease. Although the complete mechanisms have not fully understood, ENM can work by resetting the neuron´s electrical properties, which induces changes in the oscillatory circuits involved in the genesis of the disease. However, less is known about how EMN can affect other cells of the CNS as astrocytes. This workshop will initially discuss the most relevant aspects of ENM clinical use for later focus in the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which ENM can regulate astrocytes physiology and the impact of this regulation in the function and survival of neurons in different CNS pathologies in which EMN has shown successful results. • Present and future of electrical neuromodulation of the Central Nervous System Guillermo Alfonso Monsalve Duarte. • Role of ion channel in astrocytes in the normal and pathologic brain Yolima P Torres • Electrical neuromodulation of astrocytes as a regulator of inflammation in the Central Nervous System Jhon J Sutachan • Metabolic implication of electrical neuromodulation in the metabolism of astrocytes Sonia Luz Albarracín
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