Downregulation of STAT3 transcription factor reverses synaptotoxic phenotype of reactive astrocytes associated with prion diseases.

ABSTRACT: In neurodegenerative diseases, including prion diseases, astrocytes adopt reactive phenotypes that persist throughout disease progression. While astrocyte reactivity may initially serve as a protective response to prion infection, it transitions into a neurotoxic phenotype that disrupts homeostatic functions and exacerbates disease pathology. The transcription factor Stat3 has been recognized as a master regulator of astrocyte reactivity in neurodegenerative diseases, yet its role in prion disease-associated astrocyte reactive phenotypes remains unexplored. The current study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of Stat3 deletion in reactive astrocytes isolated from prion-infected mice. We demonstrate that Stat3 deletion mitigates the reactive astrocyte phenotype and alleviates t

SUBMITTER: Kushwaha R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12080014 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature