RT Journal Article T1 Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions. A1 Escartin, Carole A1 Galea, Elena A1 Lakatos, András A1 O'Callaghan, James P A1 Petzold, Gabor C A1 Serrano-Pozo, Alberto A1 Steinhäuser, Christian A1 Volterra, Andrea A1 Carmignoto, Giorgio A1 Agarwal, Amit A1 Allen, Nicola J A1 Araque, Alfonso A1 Barbeito, Luis A1 Barzilai, Ari A1 Bergles, Dwight E A1 Bonvento, Gilles A1 Butt, Arthur M A1 Chen, Wei-Ting A1 Cohen-Salmon, Martine A1 Cunningham, Colm A1 Deneen, Benjamin A1 De Strooper, Bart A1 Díaz-Castro, Blanca A1 Farina, Cinthia A1 Freeman, Marc A1 Gallo, Vittorio A1 Goldman, James E A1 Goldman, Steven A A1 Götz, Magdalena A1 Gutiérrez, Antonia A1 Haydon, Philip G A1 Heiland, Dieter H A1 Hol, Elly M A1 Holt, Matthew G A1 Iino, Masamitsu A1 Kastanenka, Ksenia V A1 Kettenmann, Helmut A1 Khakh, Baljit S A1 Koizumi, Schuichi A1 Lee, C Justin A1 Liddelow, Shane A A1 MacVicar, Brian A A1 Magistretti, Pierre A1 Messing, Albee A1 Mishra, Anusha A1 Molofsky, Anna V A1 Murai, Keith K A1 Norris, Christopher M A1 Okada, Seiji A1 Oliet, Stéphane H R A1 Oliveira, João F A1 Panatier, Aude A1 Parpura, Vladimir A1 Pekna, Marcela A1 Pekny, Milos A1 Pellerin, Luc A1 Perea, Gertrudis A1 Pérez-Nievas, Beatriz G A1 Pfrieger, Frank W A1 Poskanzer, Kira E A1 Quintana, Francisco J A1 Ransohoff, Richard M A1 Riquelme-Perez, Miriam A1 Robel, Stefanie A1 Rose, Christine R A1 Rothstein, Jeffrey D A1 Rouach, Nathalie A1 Rowitch, David H A1 Semyanov, Alexey A1 Sirko, Swetlana A1 Sontheimer, Harald A1 Swanson, Raymond A A1 Vitorica, Javier A1 Wanner, Ina-Beate A1 Wood, Levi B A1 Wu, Jiaqian A1 Zheng, Binhai A1 Zimmer, Eduardo R A1 Zorec, Robert A1 Sofroniew, Michael V A1 Verkhratsky, Alexei AB Reactive astrocytes are astrocytes undergoing morphological, molecular, and functional remodeling in response to injury, disease, or infection of the CNS. Although this remodeling was first described over a century ago, uncertainties and controversies remain regarding the contribution of reactive astrocytes to CNS diseases, repair, and aging. It is also unclear whether fixed categories of reactive astrocytes exist and, if so, how to identify them. We point out the shortcomings of binary divisions of reactive astrocytes into good-vs-bad, neurotoxic-vs-neuroprotective or A1-vs-A2. We advocate, instead, that research on reactive astrocytes include assessment of multiple molecular and functional parameters-preferably in vivo-plus multivariate statistics and determination of impact on pathological hallmarks in relevant models. These guidelines may spur the discovery of astrocyte-based biomarkers as well as astrocyte-targeting therapies that abrogate detrimental actions of reactive astrocytes, potentiate their neuro- and glioprotective actions, and restore or augment their homeostatic, modulatory, and defensive functions. YR 2021 FD 2021-02-15 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/17184 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/17184 LA en DS RISalud RD Apr 7, 2025