Author Correction: Divergent transcriptional regulation of astrocyte reactivity across disorders.

This study investigates how astrocytes, a type of brain support cell, change their gene activity in response to different brain injuries and diseases. The researchers analyzed data from both mice and humans using advanced molecular tools such as RNA sequencing, ATAC-seq, and conditional gene deletion to identify the transcriptional regulators—proteins that control gene expression—behind these changes. They found that astrocyte responses vary widely between disorders, with over 12,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showing disorder-specific patterns. Although each condition involves unique regulators, a shared group of 61 transcriptional regulators was active across multiple diseases. The study revealed that these regulators work in complex, context-dependent combinations: the same regulators can control very different sets of genes in different disorders. Importantly, modifying these regulators can alter disease outcomes, suggesting new potential therapeutic targets. Overall, the work highlights how astrocyte reactivity is highly adaptable and shaped by dynamic, disease-specific regulatory networks.