Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.
Cell Biol Int. 2013 Aug;37(8):761-5. doi: 10.1002/cbin.10098. Epub 2013 May 3.
The first cell growth factor, nerve growth factor (NGF), was discovered by Rita Levi-Montalcini (RLM) in the early 1950s. Originally identified as neurite outgrowth-stimulating factor, later studies revealed that non-neuronal cells, including immune cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, pancreatic beta cells, prostate epithelial and adipose tissue cells, were also targets for and/or sources of NGF. Nerve growth factor is well recognised as mediating multiple biological phenomena, ranging from the neurotrophic through immunotrophic and epitheliotrophic to metabotrophic effects. Consequently, NGF and other members of the neurotrophin family are implicated in the pathogenesis of a large spectrum of neuronal and non-neuronal diseases, ranging from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases to atherosclerosis and cardiometabolic disorders. Recent studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of NGF in these conditions, including ocular and cutaneous diseases. NGF TrkA receptor antagonists emerged as novel drugs for pain, prostate and breast cancer, melanoma and urinary bladder syndromes. Here, we briefly describe the 'unpredictable' ideogenesis of the discovery of NGF, a eureka in the neuroscience.
第一个细胞生长因子，神经生长因子（NGF），是由 Rita Levi-Montalcini（RLM）在 20 世纪 50 年代早期发现的。最初被鉴定为神经突生长刺激因子，后来的研究表明，非神经元细胞，包括免疫细胞、内皮细胞、心肌细胞、胰岛β细胞、前列腺上皮细胞和脂肪组织细胞，也是 NGF 的靶细胞和/或来源。神经生长因子被广泛认为介导多种生物学现象，从神经营养作用到免疫营养作用、上皮营养作用，再到代谢营养作用。因此，NGF 和神经营养因子家族的其他成员与广泛的神经元和非神经元疾病的发病机制有关，从阿尔茨海默病和其他神经退行性疾病到动脉粥样硬化和心脏代谢疾病。最近的研究表明，NGF 在这些疾病中的治疗潜力，包括眼部和皮肤疾病。NGF-TrkA 受体拮抗剂已成为治疗疼痛、前列腺癌和乳腺癌、黑色素瘤和膀胱综合征的新型药物。在这里，我们简要描述了 NGF 发现的“不可预测”的思想起源，这是神经科学领域的一个重大突破。
