Searching through the stars: The role of astrocytes in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders

Recent work pointed out astrocyte dysfunction as one of the contributors to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Studies have shown that many genes known to cause inherited forms of PD are highly expressed in astrocytes and play vital roles in astrocyte biology. These studies have expanded our understanding of the pathological potential of these cells, which may have important implications for developing novel treatments. The work presented in this thesis provides a framework and sheds light on how astrocytes might participate in the disease process.