Radial glia and radial glia-like cells: Their role in neurogenesis and regeneration

Abstract

Radial glia is a cell type traditionally associated with the developing nervous system, particularly with the formation of cortical layers in the mammalian brain. Nonetheless, some of these cells, or closely related types, called radial glia-like cells are found in adult central nervous system structures, functioning as neurogenic progenitors in normal homeostatic maintenance and in response to injury. The heterogeneity of radial glia-like cells is nowadays being probed with molecular tools, primarily by the expression of specific genes that define cell types. Similar markers have identified radial glia-like cells in the nervous system of non-vertebrate organisms. In this review, we focus on adult radial glia-like cells in neurogenic processes during homeostasis and in response to injury. We highlight our results using a non-vertebrate model system, the echinoderm Holothuria glaberrima where we have described a radial glia-like cell that plays a prominent role in the regeneration of the holothurian central nervous system.

Harnessing the Stem Cell Niche in Regenerative Medicine: Innovative Avenue to Combat Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…In addition, axolotls, known for scar-free brain regeneration, activate unique glial cells in response to brain injury. The activated radial glial cells form a structure reminiscent of the neural stem cell niches seen during development [158][159][160][161]. Future research needs to elucidate spatiotemporal elements of animal regenerative mechanisms related to stemness and niches that can potentially open doors to evoke human regenerative potential on demand or per need.…”

Aging as a morphostasis defect: a developmental bioelectricity perspective

“…The brain contains a significant number of non-neuronal cells such as glia, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes which play important roles in maintaining brain homeostasis [182] and neuronal ion homeostasis [6], and providing protection as the first line of defense against inflammation. Microglia, in particular, act as the resident immune cells in the brain, responding to and propagating inflammatory signals by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines that can have cognitive consequences.…”

Therapeutic strategies to recover ependymal barrier after inflammatory damage: relevance for recovering neurogenesis during development

“…The mammalian central nervous system (CNS) emerges from the neural plate ( Stern, 2001 ; Silbereis et al, 2016 ), which undergoes the process of neurulation: a thickening of the neural plate and a folding of the tissue at both sides of the dorsal midline, followed by fusion of both neural folds, thus creating the neural tube ( Stern, 2001 ; Echevarría et al, 2003 ). The neural tube is lined with a pseudostratified germinal neuroepithelium, made up of polarized cells with a single apical cilium and a long basal prolongation that extends and contacts the marginal zone of the CNS ( Stern, 2001 ; Malatesta et al, 2008 ; Kriegstein and Alvarez-Buylla, 2009 ; Miranda-Negrón and García-Arrarás, 2022 ).…”

“…During embryonic development, neuroepithelial cells give rise to radial glial cells ( Malatesta et al, 2008 ; Miranda-Negrón and García-Arrarás, 2022 ; Figure 1 ). Radial glial cells are a proliferative cell type with a morphology similar to neuroepithelial cells.…”