Webster Nicholas J G, Pirrung Michael C
Veterans Medical Research Foundation and VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
BMC Neurosci. 2008 Dec 3;9 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S1. doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-9-S2-S1.
The neurotrophin signaling network is critical to the development and survival of many neuronal populations. Especially sensitive to imbalances in the neurotrophin system, cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are progressively lost in Alzheimer's disease. Therapeutic use of neurotrophins to prevent this loss is hampered, however, by a number of pharmacological challenges. These include a lack of transport across the blood-brain barrier, rapid degradation in the circulation, and difficulty in production. In this review we discuss the evidence supporting the neurotrophin system's role in preventing neurodegeneration and survey some of the pharmacological strategies being pursued to develop effective therapeutics targeting neurotrophin function.
神经营养因子信号网络对于许多神经元群体的发育和存活至关重要。基底前脑的胆碱能神经元对神经营养因子系统的失衡尤为敏感,在阿尔茨海默病中会逐渐丧失。然而,神经营养因子在治疗上用于预防这种丧失却受到一些药理学挑战的阻碍。这些挑战包括无法穿过血脑屏障、在循环中快速降解以及生产困难。在本综述中,我们讨论了支持神经营养因子系统在预防神经退行性变中作用的证据,并概述了为开发针对神经营养因子功能的有效疗法而正在探索的一些药理学策略。