Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 29, Issue 28, 2022

Endogenous nucleoside adenosine modulates a number of physiological effects through interaction with P1 purinergic receptors. All of them are G protein-coupled receptors, and, to date, four subtypes have been characterized and named A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. In recent years, adenosine receptors, particularly the A2A subtype, have become attractive targets for the treatment of several neurodegenerative disorders, kno Read More

Pharmacological treatment of complex pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases still represents a major challenge, due to the networked pathways involved in their onset and progression that may require equally complex therapeutic approaches. Polypharmacology, based on the simultaneous modulation of multiple targets involved in the disease, may offer the potential to increase effectiveness and reduce the dr Read More

In the nervous system, inflammatory responses physiologically occur as defense mechanisms triggered by damaging events. If improperly regulated, neuroinflammation can contribute to the development of chronically activated states of glial cells, with the perpetuation of inflammation and neuronal damage, thus leading to neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Interestingly, neuroinflammation is associated wit Read More

The translocator protein 18kDa (TSPO) is expressed in the outer mitochondrial membrane and is implicated in several functions, including cholesterol transport and steroidogenesis. Under normal physiological conditions, TSPO is present in very low concentrations in the human brain but is markedly upregulated in response to brain injury and inflammation. This upregulation is strongly associated with activated microgli Read More