Neuronal nicotinic receptors as novel targets for inflammation and neuroprotection: mechanistic considerations and clinical relevance

• Published in: Acta pharmacologica Sinica Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 702 - 714
• Main Author: Bencherif, Merouane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.06.2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Survival - drug effects; Central Nervous System Diseases - drug therapy; Central Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Humans; Immunology; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - physiopathology; Internal Medicine; Medical Microbiology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - metabolism; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Receptors, Nicotinic - drug effects; Receptors, Nicotinic - metabolism; Review; Vaccine; nicotinic receptors; second messengers; inflammation; neuroprotection

A number of studies have confirmed the potential for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (NNR)-mediated neuroprotection and, more recently, its anti-inflammatory effects. The mechanistic overlap between these pathways and the ubiquitous effects observed following diverse insults suggest that N...