Abstract
Astrocytes are the most plentiful cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) and perform complicated functions in health and disease. It is obvious that different astrocyte subpopulations, or activation states, are relevant with specific genomic programs and functions. In recent years, the emergence of new technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has made substantial advance in the characterization of astrocyte heterogeneity, astrocyte developmental trajectory, and its role in CNS diseases which has had a significant impact on neuroscience. In this review, we present an overview of astrocyte development, heterogeneity, and its essential role in the physiological and pathological environments of the CNS. We focused on the critical role of single-cell sequencing in revealing astrocyte development, heterogeneity, and its role in different CNS diseases.