Therapeutic Neuroprotective Agents For Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Department

neurobiology

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal chronic neurodegenerative disease whose hallmark is proteinaceous, ubiquitinated, cytoplasmic inclusions in motor neurons and surrounding cells. Multiple mechanisms proposed as responsible for ALS pathogenesis include dysfunction of protein degradation, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. It is therefore essential to gain a better understanding of the underlying disease etiology and search for neuroprotective agents that might delay disease onset, slow progression, prolong survival, and ultimately reduce the burden of disease. Because riluzole, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment, prolongs the ALS patient's life by only 3 months, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In this review, we focus on studies of various small pharmacological compounds targeting the proposed pathogenic mechanisms of ALS and discuss their impact on disease progression. © 2013 Springer Basel.

Publication Date

12-1-2013

Publication Title

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

ISSN

1420682X

Volume

70

Issue

24

First Page

4729

Last Page

4745

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1007/s00018-013-1415-0

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS