Astrocyte endfeet enwrap the entire vascular tree within the central nervous system, where they perform important functions in regulating the blood-brain barrier (BBB), cerebral blood flow, nutrient uptake, and waste clearance. Accordingly, astrocyte endfeet contain specialized organelles and proteins, including local protein translation machinery and highly organized scaffold proteins, which anchor channels, transporters, receptors, and enzymes critical for astrocyte-vascular interactions. Many neurological diseases are characterized by the loss of polarization of specific endfoot proteins, vascular dysregulation, BBB disruption, altered waste clearance, or, in extreme cases, loss of endfoot coverage. A role for astrocyte endfeet has been demonstrated or postulated in many of these conditions. This review provides an overview of the development, composition, function, and pathological changes of astrocyte endfeet and highlights the gaps in our knowledge that future research should address.

中文翻译：

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星形胶质细胞末端在脑功能和病理学中的作用：悬而未决的问题

星形胶质细胞端足包裹着中枢神经系统内的整个血管树，在调节血脑屏障（BBB）、脑血流、营养吸收和废物清除方面发挥重要功能。因此，星形胶质细胞末端含有专门的细胞器和蛋白质，包括局部蛋白质翻译机制和高度组织化的支架蛋白，它们锚定对星形胶质细胞-血管相互作用至关重要的通道、转运蛋白、受体和酶。许多神经系统疾病的特征是特定足底蛋白极化丧失、血管失调、血脑屏障破坏、废物清除改变，或者在极端情况下，足底覆盖范围丧失。星形胶质细胞终足的作用已在许多这些情况中得到证实或假设。本综述概述了星形胶质细胞终足的发育、组成、功能和病理变化，并强调了我们未来研究应解决的知识空白。