Therapeutic applications of neurotrophic factors in disorders of motor neurons and peripheral nerves.

Research in the past few years has produced exciting progress in our understanding of neurotrophic factors. Robust effects of neurotrophic factors on neuronal survival and differentiation in animal studies have encouraged initiation of clinical trials for diseases of the human nervous system. In this article, the data for the actions of neurotrophic factors and the rationale for their use in clinical trials are reviewed. Recent data demonstrating efficacy of insulin-like growth factor 1 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis suggest that neurotrophic factors can be used to treat neurological disease.