Why neurodegenerative diseases are progressive: uncontrolled inflammation drives disease progression

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of chronic, progressive disorders characterized by the gradual loss of neurons in discrete areas of the central nervous system (CNS). The mechanism(s) underlying their progressive nature remains unknown but a timely and well-controlled inflammatory reaction is...

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Published inImmunology today (Amsterdam. Regular ed.) Vol. 29; no. 8; pp. 357 - 365
Main Authors Gao, Hui-Ming, Hong, Jau-Shyong
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2008
Elsevier Limited
Subjects
Allergy and Immunology
Animals
Brain
Disease
Disease Progression
Free radicals
Gene expression
Homeostasis
Humans
Immune system
Inflammation - immunology
Inflammation - pathology
Models, Immunological
Multiple sclerosis
Neurodegeneration
Neurodegenerative Diseases - immunology
Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology
Neurons
Neurotoxicity
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Summary:Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of chronic, progressive disorders characterized by the gradual loss of neurons in discrete areas of the central nervous system (CNS). The mechanism(s) underlying their progressive nature remains unknown but a timely and well-controlled inflammatory reaction is essential for the integrity and proper function of the CNS. Substantial evidence has documented a common inflammatory mechanism in various neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesize that in the diseased CNS, interactions between damaged neurons and dysregulated, overactivated microglia create a vicious self-propagating cycle causing uncontrolled, prolonged inflammation that drives the chronic progression of neurodegenerative diseases. We further propose that dynamic modulation of this inflammatory reaction by interrupting the vicious cycle might become a disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.
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ISSN:1471-4906
0167-5699
1471-4981
DOI:10.1016/j.it.2008.05.002