title: Neuroinflammation in Multiple System Atrophy: Response to and Cause of α-Synuclein Aggregation.
abstract: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease presenting with combinations of autonomic dysfunction, parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia and/or pyramidal signs. Oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) rich in α-synuclein (α-syn) constitute the disease hallmark, accompanied by neuronal loss and activation of glial cells which indicate neuroinflammation. Recent studies demonstrate that α-syn may be released from degenerating neurons to mediate formation of abnormal inclusion bodies and to induce neuroinflammation which, interestingly, might also favor the formation of intracellular α-syn aggregates as a consequence of cytokine release and the shift to a pro-inflammatory environment. Here, we critically review the relationships between α-syn and astrocytic and microglial activation in MSA to explore the potential of therapeutics which target neuroinflammation.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Bruno Di Marco
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rowan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Radford
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Gilles J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Guillemin
authors.affiliation: Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Dean L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pountney
keywords: astrocytes; microglia; multiple system atrophy; neuroinflammation; α-synuclein