Astrocytosis related Assay Service

Reactive astrocytosis, also known as astrocytosis or astrogliosis, refers to changes in astrocyte behavior during central nervous system (CNS) injury and disease. Under these conditions, astrocytes undergo proliferation, morphological alterations, and the upregulation of markers such as GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein). The complexity and diversity of astrocytosis make it a subject of ongoing research, with the hope that better understanding its role in neuropathology will reveal and explore potential therapeutic strategies. To learn more about our products and services, submit a project inquiry, or request a quote, please contact us today.

Astrocytes and Astrocytosis

There are multiple degrees of astrocytosis, ranging from mild, to moderate, to severe diffuse, with the most severe resulting in dense scarring. Mild to moderate astrocytosis is typically associated with minor non-penetrating injuries, while severe diffuse astrocytosis may occur in chronic neurodegenerative diseases or after severe trauma. In severe cases, astrocytes proliferate and form dense scars that often surround areas of tissue damage. This process is believed to prevent the spread of inflammation and define the boundaries of the injury, but it may play other roles.

Fig.1 Astrocytes and astrocytosis in normal, moderately and severely injured states.¹

Astrocyte proliferation has a complex dual effect. On the one hand, it can provide neuroprotective support by isolating damaged areas, remodeling the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and promoting circuit remodeling in peripheral areas. On the other hand, excessive astrocytosis can lead to increased inflammation and inhibit neuronal repair and axonal growth. Thus, the exact role of astrocytosis in CNS injury is still somewhat unclear, and may have different effects depending on time and space.

Astrocytosis Assays

Our astrocytosis assays use primary cell cultures to study astrocyte-related parameters induced by your compound of interest.

For downstream detection, we offer the following assays:

• High content analysis: Detection of the reactive astrocyte marker GFAP by high content analysis and other markers such as S100B, Vim and Nestin to further analyze their functional changes.
• Gene expression analysis: By detecting the expression level of specific genes, it helps to understand the reactive changes of astrocytes under different pathological conditions. We provide various readouts, including methods such as qPCR and various forms of RNA-seq.
• Proliferation analysis: Astrocyte proliferation can be detected using GFAP antibodies. In addition, the relative growth and viability of cells can be evaluated by MTS assay.

At Creative Biolabs, our in vitro astrocytosis assays are based on advanced models that can effectively identify and track the reactive changes of astrocytes, providing a powerful tool for drug discovery and accelerating the development of effective drugs for brain injury and spinal cord injury. We invite you to contact us to discuss your project plans in detail.

Reference

1. Li, Xinyu, et al. "Reactive astrogliosis: implications in spinal cord injury progression and therapy." Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity 2020.1 (2020): 9494352. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.