Collection 

Glia in health and disease

Submission status
Closed
Submission deadline

Long thought to serve a passive role in the central nervous system (CNS), glial cells are now recognised to actively support neurons in brain development and function, whilst also supporting nervous system homeostasis. At least half the volume of the brain is made up of glial cells—oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia and nerve glial antigen cells. Glia also serve important functions outside of the brain, for instance, enteric glia, a lesser-studied sub-population of glia that reside in the walls of the gut, have emerged as essential regulators of gastrointestinal functions. However, fundamental questions remain about several aspects of their biology. Perturbation of glial function characterises a multitude of brain disorders and gastrointestinal diseases, from Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, to autism and glioma, yet a complete appreciation of the underlying pathophysiology is lacking. A more holistic picture of all players of the CNS will contribute to a deeper mechanistic understanding of neurological disorders, that is essential for devising successful therapeutic interventions.

This Collection invites original articles which describe new experimental models and tools to study glial function, as well as submissions that advance our understanding of their roles in health and disease.

Microglial cell

Editors

Ruben J. Cauchi is an Associate Professor of Neurogenetics at the University of Malta. Research in his lab is focused on the role of neurons, glia and muscles in the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) making use of animal models. Dr Cauchi also leads Malta’s National ALS Registry and Biobank with the aim of exploiting the unique island population of Malta to identify novel genetic and environmental factors that lead to ALS. Dr Cauchi has been Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2019.

 

 

Nicolas Dzamko is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney in Australia. His major research interest is understanding the causes and identifying biomarkers for neurodegenerative Parkinson’s disease. Dr Dzamko has been an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2019.

 

 

 

Maura Francolini is an Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine of the University of Milan. Her research focuses on the structure of central and peripheral synapses and how it is modulated by activity in health and disease. These studies, performed in vitro and in animal models of neurological disorders, and are carried out combining different imaging techniques. Dr Francolini has been an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2015.