Interconnected glial cells protecting neurons

Glia: The Unsung Heroes of Brain Health

Rhea Morgan in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 3 min read.

"Could targeting neuroglia be the key to unlocking new treatments for neurological diseases?"

The central nervous system (CNS) is a complex network of neurons and glial cells working together. While neurons transmit information, neuroglia, or glial cells, play a crucial role in maintaining the health and stability of the brain. These cells, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and NG2 cells, are essential for everything from brain development to immune defense.

Traditionally, research and drug development have focused on neurons. However, a new perspective is emerging: neuroglia may be critical in developing and treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. When glial cells malfunction or become damaged, it can lead to a range of conditions, highlighting their importance in brain health.

This article explores the diverse roles of neuroglia, how their dysfunction contributes to neurological diseases, and why targeting them could pave the way for new therapeutic interventions. Understanding these unsung heroes of the brain could revolutionize how we approach neurological treatment.

What Do Neuroglia Do?

Interconnected glial cells protecting neurons

Neuroglia perform a wide array of essential functions that keep the nervous system running smoothly:

Astrocytes, the most abundant type of glial cell, are critical for:

Development and Structure: Shaping the CNS during development and maintaining its structure throughout life.
Synaptic Support: Supporting the formation, maturation, and maintenance of synapses, the connections between neurons.
Blood-Brain Barrier: Helping to form and maintain the blood-brain barrier, protecting the brain from harmful substances.
Homeostasis: Controlling the balance of ions and neurotransmitters, providing neurons with metabolic support, and regulating local blood flow.

Other types of neuroglia include oligodendrocytes, which myelinate axons to speed up nerve signal transmission, NG2 glia, which may contribute to remyelination after injury, and microglia, the brain's immune cells that remove debris and shape synaptic connections.

Neurogliopathies: When Glia Go Wrong

When neuroglia are damaged or dysfunctional, it can lead to a variety of neurological disorders. These conditions, termed "neurogliopathies," can involve:

<ul> <li>Asthenic Changes: A loss or diminution of glial homeostatic and defensive functions.</li> <li>Atrophic Changes: Degeneration of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.</li> <li>Reactive Gliosis: Complex and context-specific programs of activation in response to injury or disease.</li> </ul>

Examples of diseases associated with neurogliopathies include Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), schizophrenia, and major depression. In these conditions, glial dysfunction can contribute to neuronal damage, inflammation, and overall disease progression.

About this Article -

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Everything You Need To Know

What are neuroglia and what do they do?

Neuroglia are cells within the central nervous system (CNS) that support the function and health of neurons. They include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and NG2 cells. Astrocytes are the most abundant and support the structure of the CNS, help the formation and maintenance of synapses, contribute to the blood-brain barrier, and maintain homeostasis. Oligodendrocytes myelinate axons to speed up nerve signal transmission. Microglia are the brain's immune cells and remove debris and shape synaptic connections. NG2 glia may contribute to remyelination after injury. They are essential for brain development and immune defense.

Why are neuroglia important in the brain?

Neuroglia are essential because their dysfunction can lead to neurogliopathies, which are neurological disorders. While neurons transmit information, the neuroglia maintain the environment that the neurons need to function. Astrocytes are key for the formation and maintenance of synapses, supporting neuron communication. The Blood-Brain Barrier is maintained by Astrocytes, this is a very important protective feature that prevents harmful substances from entering the brain. Oligodendrocytes help with signal speed, allowing faster nerve signal transmission. Microglia act as the brain's immune cells, removing debris and shaping synaptic connections. NG2 glia play a role in remyelination after injury.

What happens when neuroglia are damaged or dysfunctional?

If neuroglia are damaged or dysfunctional, this can lead to neurological disorders, termed neurogliopathies. These can include a variety of conditions, highlighting the critical role of neuroglia in brain health. The specific consequences depend on the type of neuroglia affected. For instance, damage to astrocytes could disrupt the blood-brain barrier or synaptic function, while damage to oligodendrocytes could slow nerve signal transmission due to demyelination. Dysfunction in microglia could impair the brain's immune response, potentially leading to inflammation and further damage. Understanding these dysfunctions is key to developing treatments.

What are the main functions of astrocytes?

Astrocytes are the most abundant type of glial cell and are involved in many key functions. They are important for shaping the CNS during development, supporting the formation and maintenance of synapses, forming and maintaining the blood-brain barrier, controlling the balance of ions and neurotransmitters, providing neurons with metabolic support, and regulating local blood flow. These diverse roles highlight their importance in maintaining brain health and supporting neuronal function. Damage to astrocytes can have wide-ranging effects on brain function.

Why are neuroglia being considered as targets for new treatments?

Researchers are considering neuroglia as potential targets for new treatments of neurological disorders because, traditionally, the focus was solely on neurons. However, the neuroglia are essential, and their dysfunction leads to the disease. Targeting neuroglia could offer new therapeutic approaches. For instance, therapies could aim to protect or repair astrocytes to maintain the blood-brain barrier. Other possible therapeutic interventions could focus on promoting remyelination by targeting oligodendrocytes, or modulating the activity of microglia to reduce inflammation and promote repair. Understanding the specific roles of each type of neuroglia is important for developing effective targeted therapies.