Astrocytes play a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS), supporting neuronal function, modulating synaptic activity, and responding to injury. Their involvement in various neuronal disorders has prompted researchers to explore them as therapeutic targets.

Primary astrocytes are isolated directly from humans or animals, and can typically be cultured for a limited number of passages, usually around 3 to 5 passages, before they undergo senescence and lose their original characteristics. In contrast, immortalized astrocytes are usually generated by transfecting primary astrocytes with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) or Simian Virus 40 (SV40) T antigens, allowing them to proliferate indefinitely in culture.