Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a type III intermediate filament (IF) protein that is expressed by numerous cell types of the central nervous system (CNS), including astrocytes and ependymal cells during development. GFAP is involved in the structure and function of the cell's cytoskeleton. GFAP is thought to help to maintain astrocyte mechanical strength as well as the shape of cells, the number of studies using it as a cell marker. There are multiple disorders associated with improper GFAP regulation, and injury can cause glial cells to react in detrimental ways. Glial scarring is a consequence of several neurodegenerative conditions, as well as injury that severs neural material. The scar is formed by astrocytes interacting with fibrous tissue to re-establish the glial margins around the central injury core and is partially caused by up-regulation of GFAP. Another condition directly related to GFAP is Alexander disease, a rare genetic disorder. Elevated blood levels of GFAP are also found in neuroinflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, a disease targeting astrocytes.
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