Glial Cell Metabolism and Neurodegenerative Diseases: The Current Perspective

Glial cells play an important role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis. Microglia have an active role in immunological surveillance, immune response, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. Astrocytes feed and nourish neurons with metabolites and growth factors. Oligodendrocytes also provide metabolic support and neurotrophic factors and produce myelin. Further, metabolic changes in glial cells have been reported in neurodegenerative diseases. Metabolic reprogramming has also been reported in glial cells to exacerbate neurodegeneration. Therefore, targeting glial metabolism could be a possible intervention in the management of NDDs. In the present chapter, we have provided comprehensive details about neurodegenerative disease-specific metabolic alterations in glial cells. Further, effort has been made to provide possible therapeutic targets to regulate metabolic changes in glial cells to maintain brain homeostasis.