GDNF and Parkinson disease: Due to the results of this study revealing an apparent resiliency of astrocytes, our future research will include a focus on changes in cell adhesion properties as a cause of neurodegeneration, the role of glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in PD and cellular protection, and the co-culturing of CNS cells to display neuroprotective effects of GDNF and the proactive role of astrocytes in neurodegeneration [31,32].