Induction of Estrogen Response Following Injury

Although originally thought to be the support cells of the brain, glial cells have been more recently identified as having diverse functions ranging from mediating brain homeostasis to playing a key role in the brain’s response to injury. One of the more novel roles of glia following injury includes the production and response to sex hormones. This chapter highlights the role of glia in estrogen induction after injury, and the neuroprotection that ensues as a result of this process. Aromatase, the enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens, is upregulated in glia near the injury site after traumatic brain injury. This induction is tied to the neuroimmune response, and differs between males and females. While there are some aspects of this process that are not fully understood, studies of the induction of estrogen response after brain injury provide information about the neuroendocrine and neuroimmune responses, and provide insight into potential pathways for therapeutic intervention.