Nirva Institute · Astrocytes · Communication & Networks
Astrocytes and Glutamate Regulation
Protecting neurons from their own excitatory signal.
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The Nirva Institute•Published 2026•≈ 6 min read
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Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It also, at high concentrations, causes neuronal damage. Astrocytes manage this trade-off in real time.
§ 1
Astrocyte glutamate transporters
EAAT2/GLT-1 is the dominant astrocytic glutamate transporter, responsible for the majority of extracellular glutamate clearance.182
§ 2
Consequences of disruption
Scientific References
Primary literature
AMA numeric style. Citation numbers are unified across the Nirva Life ecosystem — the same number refers to the same reference across every library article. Full registry is anchored in the Cornerstone Paper.
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- 202.Liu Z, Chopp M. Astrocytes, therapeutic targets for neuroprotection and neurorestoration in ischemic stroke. Prog Neurobiol. 2016;144:103-120. PubMed ↗
- 206.Robel S, Sontheimer H. Glia as drivers of abnormal neuronal activity. Nat Neurosci. 2016;19(1):28-33. PubMed ↗
- 214.Yamanaka K, Komine O. The multi-dimensional roles of astrocytes in ALS. Neurosci Res. 2018;126:31-38. PubMed ↗