Dear Colleagues,

Glial cells have long been known to exhibit pleiotropic homeostatic activity in the brain during development, adulthood, and recovery from neural injury.

In the embryo, glial cells form a cellular framework that enables development of the nervous system and controls neuronal survival and differentiation.

Glial cells constantly face osmotic challenges resulting from their own metabolic function or that of neighbouring cells, and from cellular behaviours such as cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, signaling, and apoptosis.

They maintain appropriate ion and water levels in the neural environment as they are equipped with a pool of ion and water channels facing fluid-filled spaces, including gap junctions; these enable cells to form an interconnected network where information is exchanged through calcium waves and signaling molecules. Furthermore, glial cells contribute to innate immune surveillance of the brain and are major regulators of neuronal repair.

Glial function dysregulation characterises many neurodegenerative disorders, but complete appreciation of the underlying pathophysiology is lacking.

New insights in glial cell biology, and in the dynamic interactions of neurons and glia, will enrich our understanding of nervous system formation, health, and function. Moreover, emerging developments in neuronal stem cell biology represent an exciting interface between technology and biology.

Thus, the goal of the present Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the most recent advances in neural differentiation and developmental neurobiology, with a focus on glial cells. We welcome articles containing original research, reviews, and mini-reviews that employ morphological, biophysical, cellular, molecular, pharmacological, or physiological methods to investigate the molecular basis of proliferation, migration, differentiation, circuit formation, and neuron/glia interaction during both normal development and regeneration or disease.

The transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is an emerging treatment for neural degeneration. The use of novel bionanomaterials in guiding the differentiation of neural progenitors could be interesting for regulating the behaviours of NSCs and potentially establishing their use in clinical treatment.

Dr. Maria Grazia Mola
Dr. Antonio Cibelli
Guest Editors

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• glial cells
• neurodevelopment
• CNS homeostasis
• water channels
• ion channels
• gap junctions
• biomaterials
• CNS repair