Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents) - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2007

Neurogenesis continues throughout adulthood in the central nervous system in mammals. Cerebral ischemia induces neurogenesis in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus. New neurons migrate to the granule cell layer of dentate gyrus or to the damaged CA1 region and striatum, where they differentiate into mature neurons and re-establish connections. Ischemic insults also promote axonal sprouting in ischemic p Read More

Nitric oxide (NO) and carbomonoxide (CO) are gaseous molecules that have been recently implicated in a series of activities in the nervous system. These cellular messengers function as neurotransmitters, and their neurodegenerative and neuroprotective actions observed in in vitro and in vivo suggest participation of these gases in cell survival and neuronal differentiation. Lack of NO resulted in cell death in neuronal cell lines a Read More

There are numerous evidences about the effects of crude snake venoms or isolated toxins on the peripheral nervous system. However, the data on their interactions with the central nervous system (CNS) are not so abundant, since the blood-brain barrier (BBB) impedes penetration of these compounds into the brain. There are several reviews describing the interactions of particular classes of snake venom polypeptides with Read More

Senescence is an ageing process characterized by progressive and irreversible dysfunction of various physiological systems. Physiological senescence with advancing age is not a disease, but it affects the life-span and life-quality of elderly people. Brain functions such as cognition and motor skills, as with other organ systems, are impaired in almost all elderly people. Neuroprotective dietary components can play a key Read More

During neurogenesis, precursor cells undergo a defined number of divisions and terminally differentiate as postmitotic neurons. In the adult mammal, under certain conditions, postmitotic neurons re-enter the cell cycle and divide. The accumulated evidence demonstrates that the precise control of cell-cycle progression is critical for both neuronal development and maintenance of the neuronal phenotype. Cyclin-d Read More

The discovery of metabotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid(B) (GABAB) receptors has enormously influenced our understanding of GABAergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. These G-protein coupled receptors play critical roles in neuronal and glial functions, such as neuronal excitability and modulation of synaptic neurotransmission. Moreover they are involved in a variety of neurodegenerative and p Read More

T11TS/SLFA-3, the glycoprotein isolated from sheep erythrocyte membrane, acts as an antineoplastic agent causing apoptotic elimination of glioma cells through cell mediated immune response. Therefore, elucidation of the proper balance in proliferation and apoptosis of neuroimmune components viz. microglia and brain infiltrating lymphocytes with the neoplastic glial cells was the fundamental issue to establish the effi Read More