Brain Peptides for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Brain Peptides for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Curr Pharm Des. 2018 Nov 11;: Authors: Karatas H, Yemisci M, Eren-Kocak E, Dalkara T Abstract The realization of the importance of growth factors in adult CNS led to several studies investigating their roles in neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the observations that chronic stress decreases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and antidepressant treatments reverse BDNF to normal levels, "neurotrophic hypothesis of depression" was proposed. Subsequent studies found that several other growth factors, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, nerve growth factor were also decreased by chronic stress. Growth factors promote stem cell survival, angiogenesis and neurogenesis in addition to having anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, all of which make them potential drug candidates as neuroprotective or neurorestorative agents. Indeed, certain peptides have consistently been shown to improve stroke outcome in experimental models of cerebral ischemia. Recent developments in nanothechnology appear promising in overcoming the blood-brain barrier and in delivering sufficient amounts of these large peptides to the brain after systemic administration. In addition to the translational potential resulting from application of nanotechnical approaches for delivering these large peptide growth factors, recent success obtained with small ...
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Curr Pharm Des Source Type: research