Glial cells are at the center of most functions of the nervous system.

Glial cells outnumber neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and spinal cord by a factor of 10:1 and provide physical and nutritional support for neurons. They are also believed to guide the migration of neurons during development and to regulate the chemical environment surrounding synapses in the adult brain.

Little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which glial cells communicate with neurons and how the failure of such communication leads to neurological diseases.