Minocycline Mediated Mitochondrial Cytoprotection: Premises for Therapy of Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases

In the last decades, emerging molecular targets for ischemic neuroprotection and regeneration have been postulated. This fact allowed that classical drugs with well established therapeutic applications might be used in cerebrovascular diseases as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Minocycline is a commonly used antibiotic of the tetracycline family (7-dimethylamino-6-dimethyl-6-deoxytetracycline) which reveals cytoprotective capability and potential use in treatment of different diseases. Here, we discuss the literature concerning minocycline. The available data indicate that the antibiotic has multi-faceted effects on cell functions and, consequently, a number of clinical properties that are useful and/or could be useful for treatment of different diseases including bacterial infections, cancer, autoimmune disorders, ischemia as well as neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Thus, application of minocycline as a therapeutic agent is the subject of clinical trials for various diseases. It is also evident that minocycline-mediated cytoprotection, including neuroprotection, is an important aspect of its clinical application. Here, we have reviewed the basis of the minocycline activity as well as different studies indicating that minocycline can be used as potential therapeutic agent in both cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases in human.