Topic: metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)

Increasing evidence has demonstrated an astrocytic key role in the brain, namely in the modulation of synapses, neuronal networks, and behavior, proving that these are more than mere supportive cells. Indeed, astrocytes gained recognition as the third active element of a synapse. In this tripartite synapse concept, while interacting closely with neurons, these cells can modulate neuronal activity by sensing, processing, integrating, and responding to synaptic transmission. Astrocytes were shown to sense glutamate, the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, which occurs by acti