Meyer M, Rasmussen J Z
Odense Universitet, afdeling for anatomi og neurobiologi.
Ugeskr Laeger. 1999 Apr 5;161(14):2063-70.
Neurotrophic factors are polypeptides primarily known to regulate the survival and differentiation of nerve cells during the development of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The neurotrophic factors act via specific receptors after retrograde axonal transport from the nerve fibre target areas back to the cell bodies, and locally through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms linked to nerve cell activity. In the mature nervous system, neurotrophic factors maintain morphological and neurochemical characteristics of nerve cells and promote activity-dependent dynamic/plastic changes in the synaptic contacts between nerve cells by strengthening functionally active synaptic connections. Induction and increased production of neurotrophic factors in relation to neural injuries are thought to serve protective and reparative purposes. Specific neurotrophic factors have thus been shown to protect nerve cells in a number of experimental models for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, just as specific neurotrophic factors have been shown to stimulate regenerative growth of both peripheral and central nerve fibres. Today, problems with continuous and localized delivery of specific neurotrophins or combinations thereof into the nervous system appear to be the most important obstacle for more widespread clinical application.
神经营养因子是一类多肽，主要作用是在周围神经系统和中枢神经系统发育过程中调节神经细胞的存活和分化。神经营养因子通过逆行轴突运输从神经纤维靶区回到细胞体后，经由特定受体发挥作用，并通过与神经细胞活性相关的自分泌和旁分泌机制在局部发挥作用。在成熟的神经系统中，神经营养因子维持神经细胞的形态和神经化学特征，并通过加强功能活跃的突触连接促进神经细胞之间突触联系的活性依赖性动态/可塑性变化。与神经损伤相关的神经营养因子的诱导和产生增加被认为具有保护和修复作用。因此，在帕金森病、阿尔茨海默病和肌萎缩侧索硬化症等多种神经退行性疾病的实验模型中，特定的神经营养因子已被证明可保护神经细胞，就如同特定的神经营养因子已被证明可刺激周围和中枢神经纤维的再生生长一样。如今，将特定神经营养因子或其组合持续、局部地递送至神经系统的问题似乎是更广泛临床应用面临的最重要障碍。
