The emerging science of Glioception: Contribution of glia in sensing, transduction, circuit integration of interoception

Interoception is the process by which the nervous system regulates internal functions to achieve homeostasis. The role of neurons in interoception has received considerable recent attention, but glial cells also contribute. Glial cells can sense and transduce signals including osmotic, chemical, and mechanical status of extracellular milieu. Their ability to dynamically communicate listening and talking to neurons is necessary to monitor and regulate ho-meostasis and information integration in the nervous system. This review introduces the concept of Glioception and focuses on the process by which glial cells sense, interpret and integrate information about the inner state of the organism. Glial cells are ideally positioned to act as sensors and integrators of diverse interoceptive signals and can trigger regulatory responses via modulation of the activity of neuronal networks, both in physiological and pathological conditions. We believe that understanding and manipulating glioceptive processes and underlying molecular mechanisms provide a key path to develop new therapies for the prevention and alleviation of devastat-ing interoceptive dysfunctions, among which pain is emphasized here with more focused details. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

This article introduces the concept of Glioception and focuses on the process by which glial cells sense, interpret, and integrate information about the inner state of the organism. Glial cells act as sensors and integrators of various interoceptive signals, and they can trigger regulatory responses by modulating the activity of neuronal networks in both physiological and pathological conditions. Understanding and manipulating glioceptive processes and underlying molecular mechanisms are believed to be a key path for the development of new therapies for the prevention and alleviation of devastating interoceptive dysfunctions, with a particular emphasis on pain.