What is it about?
Nucleoside levels, activity of nucleoside metabolic enzymes and expression of nucleoside transporters and receptors are unevenly distributed in the brain, suggesting that nucleosides have different roles in functionally distinct human brain areas. The aim of this chapter is to summarize our present knowledge of the anatomical distribution of nucleoside system in the human brain, placing emphasis on potential therapeutic pharmacological strategies.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Nucleosides have a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological roles in the human brain as modulators of a variety of neural functions. For example, adenosine, inosine, guanosine and uridine participate in the mechanisms underlying memory, cognition, sleep, pain, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Consequently, increasing attention is now being given to the specific role of nucleosides in physiological and pathological processes in the human brain. Different elements of nucleoside system, including nucleoside concentrations, metabolic enzyme activity and expression of nucleoside transporters and receptors, may be changed under normal and pathological conditions. The alterations suggest that interlinked elements of the nucleoside system are functioning in a tightly concerted manner.
Perspectives
The current data suggest that nucleoside system are promising drug targets for the treatment of a variety of brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, epilepsy and schizophrenia. Unfortunately, although the nucleoside system has been implicated in the development and treatment of a number of brain disorders, a systematic investigation of the nucleoside system in most brain areas has not yet been performed. These data are needed to elucidate therapeutic strategies driven by the anatomical distribution of nucleoside system. In addition, attention must be given to the effects of gender and age in future studies. These data are eagerly awaited and will help form the foundation for studies of the physiological and pathophysiological functions of nucleosides and for the development of effective treatments for several CNS diseases.
Dr Zsolt Kovacs
Eötvös Loránd University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Anatomical Distribution of Nucleoside System in the Human Brain and Implications for Therapy, July 2012, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-3903-5_29.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
