Brain extracellular matrix: An upcoming target in neurological and psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) are embedded in a dense and dynamic meshwork of extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM components, which are synthesized and secreted by both neurons and glial cells, co-aggregate and form highly organized extracellular structures around cell somata, axon initial segments, dendrites and synapses, in particular, in the form of so-called perineuronal nets (PNNs).