The Brain-Spinal Glial Network: A Testable Systems-Level Hypothesis for Understanding Acupuncture-Associated Neuroglial Regulation

Recent advances in neuroscience have established that astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) actively participate in synaptic regulation, adaptive myelination, neuroimmune modulation, and central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. Although these functions have been extensively investigated at the cellular level, a systems-level framework integrating neuroglial regulation across the brain and spinal cord remains insufficiently developed. Building upon previous hypotheses describing acupuncture-associated adenosine signaling, integrated glial network remodeling, and white matter resilience, this article proposes the Brain-Spinal Glial Network (BSGN) as a testable systems-level hypothesis for coordinated neuroglial communication throughout the central nervous system. The BSGN is defined as a continuous functional network extending across the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord, in which neurons, astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and OPCs interact through bidirectional communication supported by the neuroglial microenvironment. Within this framework, adaptive myelination, neuroimmune regulation, metabolic support, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis are interpreted as coordinated systems-level processes rather than isolated cellular events. In the present hypothesis, acupuncture is not regarded as the primary subject of investigation but as a physiological model through which coordinated neuroglial regulation can be experimentally explored. Previous studies reporting acupuncture-associated modulation of purinergic signaling, glial activity, adaptive myelination, and functional recovery provide a biological basis for investigating the proposed Brain-Spinal Glial Network. The BSGN hypothesis generates experimentally testable predictions linking acupuncture stimulation to coordinated changes in neuroglial communication, white matter integrity, neural plasticity, and functional recovery. Future validation may be achieved through multimodal approaches integrating molecular biomarkers, neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and longitudinal clinical assessment. Rather than proposing a new cellular mechanism, this hypothesis organizes existing evidence into a unified systems-level framework that may facilitate future investigations of coordinated neuroglial regulation underlying the biological effects of acupuncture.