Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42217185›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

Astrocyte-microglia crosstalk via CSF1 and IFN-β promotes central nervous system repair.

Tuoxin Cao, Matin Hemati-Gourabi, Yongliang Liu, Anna E Mills, Lauren Baur, Ellie P Rice, Theo Klippel, Yiwen Yan, Xiu Xu, William K Fenske and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Tuoxin CaoSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Matin Hemati-GourabiSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Yongliang LiuSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Anna E MillsSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Lauren BaurSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Ellie P RiceSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Theo KlippelSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Yiwen YanSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Xiu XuSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
William K FenskeSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Jean X JiangDepartment of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
Meifan ChenSpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. Electronic address: meifan.chen@uky.edu.

Funding

Functional Diversity of Reactive Astrocytes in Spinal Cord RepairR01NS121193 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI CHEN, MEIFAN · 2021 to 2025
$1.9M
Combinatorial approach to restore breathing after spinal cord injuryR21NS137256 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI ALILAIN, WARREN JOSEPH, CHEN, MEIFAN · 2024 to 2025
$406k
NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS121193NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS137256
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite accumulating evidence of functional interactions between astrocytes and microglia in central nervous system (CNS) injury and disease, mechanisms coordinating their response to CNS insults remain incompletely understood. We report that injury-reactive astrocytes at the lesion border upregulate colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) required for microglial proliferation, wound closure, and motor recovery after focal spinal cord injury (SCI). Intriguingly, astrocyte-targeted deletion of CSF1 also reduces the cell number of border-forming astrocytes, revealing positive feedback regulation between astrocytes and microglia. We further show that microglia produce interferon β (IFN-β), which reciprocally supports astrocyte survival. Genetic disruption of interferon signaling in astrocytes in turn impairs astrocytic border formation, coordination with microglia in wound healing, and motor recovery. This work uncovers astrocyte-microglia crosstalk via CSF1 and IFN-β that synergizes the acute injury response of these cells for neural repair, providing insights into fundamental biology of astrocyte-microglia communication and its therapeutic potential.

Indexed as

AstrocytesCentral Nervous SystemInterferon-betaMacrophage Colony-Stimulating FactorMicrogliaAnimalsCell CommunicationMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionSpinal Cord InjuriesWound HealingInterferon-betaMacrophage Colony-Stimulating Factorastrocyte-microglia interactionCNS injuryCNS repairCP: neuroscienceCSF1glia crosstalkIFN-βinterferon responsereactive astrocytesspinal cord injurywound repair astrogliosis

Identifiers

PMID42217185
PMCPMC13366903

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.