Astrocyte-secreted pleiotrophin implicated in Down syndrome

Neuronal connectivity during development is regulated by dendrite patterning and synapse formation.

The researchers demonstrate that aberrant downregulation of the astrocytyte- secreted molecule pleiotrophin contributes to neuronal phenotypes in a Down syndrome mouse model.

Targeting overexpression of pleiotrophin to astrocytes improves neuronal morphological and functional synaptic phenotypes.

They also show that pleiotrophin promotes dendrite outgrowth in cultured neurons through Alk-Akt signaling.

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)01071-X

https://sciencemission.com/functional-deficits-in-Down-syndrome