Table 1_“Stand by me”: astrocyte–microglia crosstalk in central nervous system development, homeostasis, injury, and disease.xlsx

Later, in the healthy adult CNS, astrocytes are known to play essential roles in maintaining homeostasis. Although the microglia primarily function as the resident immune cells of the CNS, it is now well established that these cells, together with the astrocytes, participate actively in synaptic regulation, neuronal circuitry functioning, and cognition.

In response to acute injury or chronic disease, both cell types undergo profound phenotypic changes and engage in a dynamic bidirectional crosstalk that critically shapes neuroinflammatory responses and influences CNS damage progression. This review synthesizes current knowledge and provides updated insights into the mechanisms by which astrocytes and microglia communicate during embryonic development of the CNS, participate in network physiology in the adult CNS, and engage in cellular responses to disease, highlighting how their interactions contribute to pathology and enabling identification of potential avenues for therapeutic interventions.