Current Neurogenic and Neuroprotective Strategies to Prevent and Treat Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract

The adult central nervous system is commonly known to have a very limited regenerative capacity. The presence of functional stem cells in the brain can therefore be seen as a paradox, since in other organs these are known to counterbalance cell loss derived from pathological conditions. This fact has therefore raised the possibility to stimulate neural stem cell differentiation and proliferation or survival by either stem cell replacement therapy or direct administration of neurotrophic factors or other proneurogenic molecules, which in turn has also originated regenerative medicine for the treatment of otherwise incurable neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders that take a huge toll on society. This may be facilitated by the fact that many of these disorders converge on similar pathophysiological pathways: excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial failure, excessive intracellular calcium and apoptosis. This review will therefore focus on the most promising achievements in promoting neuroprotection and neuroregeneration reported to date.

Bile Acids in Neurodegenerative Disorders

“…The loss of motor neurons in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has prompted therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing neuronal cell death and promoting regeneration (Carvalho et al, 2015). NSC-34 cells, created by fusion of cultured neuroblastoma cells and motor neurons from mouse spinal cord, can be treated with retinoic acid to induce neurite outgrowth and functional characteristics of motor neurons and are considered a highly stable and widely used murine motor neuron cell line model (Maier et al, 2013; Veyrat-Durebex et al, 2014).…”

Exploring the potential of natural and synthetic neuroprotective steroids against neurodegenerative disorders: A literature review

“…These agents mainly include antioxidants, anti‐inflammatory drugs, glutamate antagonists, cholinesterase inhibitors, dopamine agonists, antiapoptotic, neuroprotective steroids, and some miscellaneous drugs. An overview of various categories of neuroprotective agents along with the representative examples has been provided in Figure …”

The Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Neuroregeneration and Neuroprotection: A Review

“…Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves the therapeutic use of oxygen at higher concentrations and pressures than atmospheric levels [ 1 , 2 ]. HBOT is a medical treatment that uses pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood, enhancing tissue oxygenation and promoting healing [ 1 , 2 ].…”