ReviewHeterogeneous astrocytes: Active players in CNS

•Astrocytes display morphological and molecular heterogeneity.•Astrocytes can response to various of pathological insults.•Astrocytes play diverse roles in physiological and pathological conditions.•Astrocytes perform their multifunctions via the interaction with a variety of cell types.•An in-depth evaluation of the heterogeneity of astrocytes is required in future study.

Astrocytes, the predominant cell type that are broadly distributed in the brain and spinal cord, play key roles in maintaining homeostasis of the central nerve system (CNS) in physiological and pathological conditions. Increasing evidence indicates that astrocytes are a complex colony with heterogeneity on morphology, gene expression, function and many other aspects depending on their spatio-temporal distribution and activation level. In pathological conditions, astrocytes differentially respond to all kinds of insults, including injury and disease, and participate in the neuropathological process. Based on current studies, we here give an overview of the roles of heterogeneous astrocytes in CNS, especially in neuropathologies, which focuses on biological and functional diversity of astrocytes. We propose that a precise understanding of the heterogeneous astrocytes is critical to unlocking the secrets about pathogenesis and treatment of the mazy CNS.