Astrocytes are highly reactive cells, and in the pathological state, they can release damaging molecules that cause neuron loss (Bal-Price and Brown, 2001). The ability of astrocytes to promote inflammation and their responsiveness to PPAR agonists positions these cells to play a critical role in the progression and treatment of neurological disease. PPAR agonists attenuate pathological astrocyte activation and improve disease progression (Diab et al., 2002, 2004; Storer et al., 2005a, 2005b; Mandrekar-Colucci and Landreth, 2010; Hong et al., 2012). Given that astrocytes play an important role in most CNS disorders, targeting them with PPAR agonists may prove effective in multiple settings.
