Expression of acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors in the brain of alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive neuron losses in memory-related brain structures. The classical features of AD are a dysregulation of the cholinergic system, the accumulation of amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Unfortunately, current treatments are unable to cure or even delay the progression of the disease. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies have emerged, such as the exogenous administration of neurotrophic factors (e.g., NGF and BDNF) that are deficient or dysregulated in AD. However, their low capacity to cross the blood–brain barrier and their exorbitant cost currently limit their use. To overcome these limitations, short peptides mimicking the binding receptor sites of these growth factors have been developed. Such peptides can target selective signaling pathways involved in neuron survival, differentiation, and/or maintenance. This review focuses on growth factors and their derived peptides as potential treatment for AD. It describes (1) the physiological functions of growth factors in the brain, their neuronal signaling pathways, and alteration in AD; (2) the strategies to develop peptides derived from growth factor and their capacity to mimic the role of native proteins; and (3) new advancements and potential in using these molecules as therapeutic treatments for AD, as well as their limitations.

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Diabetes as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease: insulin signalling impairment in the brain as an alternative model of Alzheimer's disease

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst0390891 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 891-897 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Christian Hölscher

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Growth Factors ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Insulin Signalling ◽

Cell Signalling ◽

Insulin Receptors ◽

Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

The Brain

Surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms that trigger the onset of AD (Alzheimer's disease) in sporadic forms. A number of risk factors have been identified that may shed light on the mechanisms that may trigger or facilitate the development of AD. Recently, T2DM (Type 2 diabetes mellitus) has been identified as a risk factor for AD. A common observation for both conditions is the desensitization of insulin receptors in the brain. Insulin acts as a growth factor in the brain and is neuroprotective, activates dendritic sprouting, regeneration and stem cell proliferation. The impairment of this important growth factor signal may facilitate the development of AD. Insulin as well as other growth factors have shown neuroprotective properties in preclinical and clinical trials. Several drugs have been developed to treat T2DM, which re-sensitize insulin receptors and may be of use to prevent neurodegenerative processes in the brain. In particular, the incretins GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insolinotropic polypeptide) are hormones that re-sensitize insulin signalling. Incretins also have similar growth-factor-like properties as insulin and are neuroprotective. In mouse models of AD, GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce amyloid plaque formation, reduce the inflammation response in the brain, protect neurons from oxidative stress, induce neurite outgrowth, and protect synaptic plasticity and memory formation from the detrimental effects caused by β-amyloid production and inflammation. Other growth factors such as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), NGF (nerve growth factor) or IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) also have shown a range of neuroprotective properties in preclinical studies. These results show that these growth factors activate similar cell signalling mechanisms that are protective and regenerative, and suggest that the initial process that may trigger the cascade of neurodegenerative events in AD could be the impairment of growth factor signalling such as early insulin receptor desensitization.

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Roles of Fibroblast Growth Factors and Their Therapeutic Potential in Treatment of Ischemic Stroke

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.671131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Confidence Dordoe ◽

Keyang Chen ◽

Wenting Huang ◽

Jun Chen ◽

Jian Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Growth Factors ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Fibroblast Growth Factors ◽

Therapeutic Agents ◽

Stroke Recovery ◽

Fibroblast Growth ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

The Brain

Stroke is the leading cause of death worldwide, and its treatment remains a challenge. Complex pathological processes are involved in stroke, which causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen and energy to the brain that triggers subsequent cascade events, such as oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and apoptosis, resulting in brain injury. Stroke is a devastating disease for which there are few treatments, but physical rehabilitation can help improve stroke recovery. Although there are very few treatments for stroke patients, the discovery of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) in mammals has led to the finding that FGFs can effectively treat stroke in animal models. As presented in this review, FGFs play essential roles by functioning as homeostatic factors and controlling cells and hormones involved in metabolism. They could be used as effective therapeutic agents for stroke. In this review, we will discuss the pharmacological actions of FGFs on multiple targets, including their ability to directly promote neuron survival, enhance angiogenesis, protect against blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, and regulate microglial modulation, in the treatment of ischemic stroke and their theoretical mechanisms and actions, as well as the therapeutic potential and limitations of FGFs for the clinical treatment of stroke.

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Longitudinal Changes in Individual BrainAGE in Healthy Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000074 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 235-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Katja Franke ◽

Christian Gaser

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Brain Aging ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Additional Increase ◽

Longitudinal Changes ◽

Novel Method ◽

The Brain

We recently proposed a novel method that aggregates the multidimensional aging pattern across the brain to a single value. This method proved to provide stable and reliable estimates of brain aging – even across different scanners. While investigating longitudinal changes in BrainAGE in about 400 elderly subjects, we discovered that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and subjects who had converted to AD within 3 years showed accelerated brain atrophy by +6 years at baseline. An additional increase in BrainAGE accumulated to a score of about +9 years during follow-up. Accelerated brain aging was related to prospective cognitive decline and disease severity. In conclusion, the BrainAGE framework indicates discrepancies in brain aging and could thus serve as an indicator for cognitive functioning in the future.

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The Weak Combined Magnetic Fields Reduce the Brain Î²-Amyloid in an Animal Model of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease

PIERS Online ◽

10.2529/piers081218104003 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 311-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Natalia V. Bobkova ◽

Vadim V. Novikov ◽

Natalia I. Medvinskaya ◽

Irina Yu. Aleksandrova ◽

Eugenii E. Fesenko

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Animal Model ◽

Magnetic Fields ◽

Sporadic Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Combined Magnetic Fields ◽

The Brain

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SPECIFIC PROPERTIES OF TUBULIN IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX IN CONTROL, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND VASCULAR DEMENTIA

"Medical & pharmaceutical journal "Pulse" ◽

10.26787/nydha-2686-6838-2020-22-11-65-71 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 65-71

Author(s):

Burbaeva G.Sh. ◽

Androsova L.V. ◽

Vorobyeva E.A. ◽

Savushkina O.K.

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Vascular Dementia ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Nephelometric Method ◽

Rate Of Polymerization ◽

Mental Diseases ◽

And Control ◽

The Brain

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of polymerization of tubulin into microtubules and determine the level of colchicine binding (colchicine-binding activity of tubulin) in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, vascular dementia (VD) and control. Colchicine-binding activity of tubulin was determined by Sherlinе in tubulin-enriched extracts of proteins from the samples. Measurement of light scattering during the polymerization of the tubulin was carried out using the nephelometric method at a wavelength of 450-550 nm. There was a significant decrease in colchicine-binding activity and the rate of tubulin polymerization in the prefrontal cortex in both diseases, and in VD to a greater extent than in schizophrenia. The obtained results suggest that not only in Alzheimer's disease, but also in other mental diseases such as schizophrenia and VD, there is a decrease in the level of tubulin in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, although to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease, and consequently the amount of microtubules.

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