Current Neurovascular Research - Volume 2, Issue 4, 2005

Understanding the role of nicotinamide (NIC) in different cell systems represents a significant challenge in several respects. Recently, NIC has been reported to have diverse roles during cell biology. In the absence of NIC, sirtuin protein activity is enhanced and pyrazinamidase/nicotinamidase 1 (PNC1) expression, an enzyme that deaminates NIC to convert NIC into nicotinic acid, is increased to lead to lifespan extension during ca Read More

Evidence for a protective role of estradiol in neurodegenerative diseases has steadily increased over the past decade, though the mechanisms of action and the participation of true estrogen receptors (ERs) have proven a complex score. The protective effects of estrogens take place partly through pathways involving canonical ER activation, which is constitutively expressed in many brain regions and is able to initiate gene tr Read More

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is the first line of defense in the response to environmental stress through its regulation of second-to-second changes in blood pressure (BP). Both the activity of the SNS and the therapeutic responses to SNS agonists and antagonists are known to be highly variable in the population. "Small" changes caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SNS genes may have considerab Read More

This review extrapolates the functions of SDF-1α and its receptor, CXCR4, as regulators of hematopoietic stem cells and discusses their potential roles in the development and regeneration of tissues. The discussion focuses on the repair of neural tissues while parallels are made with bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. Overall, the organization links the basic biology of SDF-1α and CXCR4 to topics in medicine and show Read More

Wnt proteins are cysteine-rich glycosylated proteins named after the Drosophilia Wingless (Wg) and the mouse Int-1 genes that play a role in embryonic cell patterning, proliferation, differentiation, orientation, adhesion, survival, and programmed cell death (PCD). Wnt proteins involve at least two intracellular signaling pathways. One pathway controls target gene transcription through β-catenin, generally referred to as th Read More

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a patient's memory function and ability to carry out daily activities. According to the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, Alzheimer's disease is initiated by amyloid ß-peptide accumulation leading to neuronal toxicity. The neurofibrillary tangle deriving from hyperphosphorylated tau and synapse loss are also key features for Alzheimer's disease Read More

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and its model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are debilitating paralytic diseases caused by inflammation, demyelination and axonal degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Whilst the autoimmune nature of MS is strongly suggested by evidence of myelin specific autoreactive T cells and antibodies, EAE is an experimentally induced CNS specific autoimmune disease. As o Read More