Abstract

Satellite Glial Cells (SGCs) are found in sensory and autonomic ganglia of the peripheral nervous system. They have a unique relationship with the nerve cell bodies, somata, completely enveloping them in a thin sheet, mostly individually, within the ganglia. The gap between somata and these glia mimics the synaptic cleft allowing bi-directional communication. The SGCs are responsible for neuron homeostasis but nerve injury or inflammation cause SGC activation often with augmentation of neuronal activity and in some situations contributing to pain syndromes.

Keywords:DRG: Dorsal Root Ganglia; TG: Trigeminal Ganglia; SGCs: Satellite Glial Cells; GFAP: Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein; VGCC: Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels; ER: Endoplasmic Reticulum; DLK: Dual Leucine Zipper-Bearing Kinase; HDAC5: Histone Deacetylase 5