CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 7, Issue 3, 2008

Proteases play important roles in the pathogenesis of injuries and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Different classes of proteases such as calpains, caspases, and cathepsins may work independently or co-operatively to carry out the proteolysis of key proteins in the CNS cells leading to cell death and neurological problems [1-5]. Increased proteolytic activities contribute to neurodegeneration in CNS injuries such as isc Read More

Erythropoietin (EPO) was first identified as a hematopoietic cytokine that stimulates proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for chronic renal disease patients with anemia. In neural tissues, EPO is working via EPO receptors and induces non-hematopoietic effects. Recent studies have demonstrated that EPO exerts therapeutic poten Read More

To date, tPA-based thrombolytic therapy is the only FDA-approved treatment for achieving vascular reperfusion and clinical benefit, but this agent is given to only about 2-5% of stroke patients in the United States of America. This may be related, in part, to the elevated risks of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and the consequently reduced therapeutic time window. Recent efforts have aimed at identifying new combina Read More

Today there exists only one FDA-approved treatment for ischemic stroke; i.e., the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). In the aftermath of the failed stroke clinical trials with the nitrone spin trap/radical scavenger, NXY-059, a number of articles raised the question: are we doing the right thing? Is the animal research truly translational in identifying new agents for stroke treatment? This review summarizes t Read More

Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) are a subfamily of lipolytic enzymes which hydrolyze the acyl bond at the sn-2 position of glycerophospholipids to produce free fatty acids and lysophospholipids. These products are precursors of bioactive eicosanoids and platelet-activating factor (PAF). The hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids by PLA2 is a rate-limiting step for generation of eicosanoids and PAF. Read More

Endolysosomal proteases such as cysteinyl and aspartyl cathepsins play diverse roles in inflammatory autoimmune diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Cysteinyl cathepsin B and aspartyl cathepsin D levels are markedly elevated in a variety of neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), a leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Studies have also shown an increased cathepsin activity in Read More

The most popular current hypothesis is that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by aggregates of the amyloid peptide (Aβ), which is generated by cleavage of the Aβ protein precursor (APP) by β-secretase (BACE-1) followed by γ- secretase. BACE-1 cleavage is limiting for the production of Aβ, making it a particularly good drug target for the generation of inhibitors that lower Aβ. A landmark discovery in AD was the identification Read More

Glaucoma is a group of irreversible blinding eye diseases affecting over 70 million people worldwide. Systemic delivery of calpain-1 inhibitors was proposed as a neuroprotection strategy for the prevention of progressive optic nerve damage in glaucoma. We present a general review of calpain-1 and an account of vast differences in processing of calpain- 1 in the trabecular meshwork (TM) and the optic nerve. Calpain-1 Read More

Pathophysiology of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and inflammatory responses in the mid-brain substantia nigra (SN). However, central dopaminergic replenishment therapeutic strategy with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), the precursor for dopamine synthesis, does not fully rescue these cells in SN or improve motor function. Besides, prolonged use of L-DO Read More

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a widely recognized animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), is highly useful for studying inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system (CNS). EAE exhibits many similarities with MS, which is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting CNS white matter in humans. Various studies have indicated that EAE is a particularly useful ani Read More