Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Rome, Italy.
Fondazione IRET ONLUS, Ozzano Emilia, Italy.
Curr Neuropharmacol. 2018;16(10):1455-1465. doi: 10.2174/1570159X16666180412092859.
Since its discovery, nerve growth factor (NGF) has long occupied a critical role in developmental and adult neurobiology for its many important regulatory functions on the survival, growth and differentiation of nerve cells in the peripheral and central nervous system. NGF is the first discovered member of a family of neurotrophic factors, collectively indicated as neurotrophins, (which include brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin 4/5). NGF was discovered for its action on the survival and differentiation of selected populations of peripheral neurons. Since then, an enormous number of basic and human studies were undertaken to explore the role of purified NGF to prevent the death of NGF-receptive cells. These studies revealed that NGF possesses important therapeutic properties, after topical administration, on human cutaneous pressure ulcer, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, retinal maculopathy, Retinitis Pigmentosa and in pediatric optic gliomas and brain traumas. The aim of this review is to present our previous, recent and ongoing clinical studies on the therapeutic properties of NGF.
神经生长因子（NGF）自发现以来，因其对周围和中枢神经系统中神经元的存活、生长和分化具有重要的调节作用，长期以来在发育和成人神经生物学中占据着重要地位。NGF 是神经营养因子家族中第一个被发现的成员，统称为神经营养因子（包括脑源性神经营养因子、神经生长因子-3 和神经生长因子-4/5）。NGF 因其对特定外周神经元种群的存活和分化的作用而被发现。从那时起，进行了大量的基础和人体研究，以探索纯化的 NGF 预防 NGF 受体细胞死亡的作用。这些研究表明，NGF 在外用后具有重要的治疗特性，可用于治疗人类皮肤压疮、角膜溃疡、青光眼、视网膜黄斑病变、色素性视网膜炎以及儿科视神经胶质瘤和脑外伤。本综述的目的是介绍我们以前、最近和正在进行的关于 NGF 治疗特性的临床研究。
