VIP in Neurological Diseases: More Than A Neuropeptide

Abstract

A hallmark in most neurological disorders is a massive neuronal cell death, in which uncontrolled immune response is usually involved, leading to neurodegeneration. The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a pleiotropic peptide that combines neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions. Alterations on VIP/VIP receptors in patients with neurodenegerative diseases, together with its involvement in the development of embryonic nervous tissue, and findings found in VIP-deficient mutant mice, have showed the relevance of this endogenous peptide in normal physiology and in pathologic states of the central nervous system (CNS). In this review, we will summarize the role of VIP in normal CNS and in neurological disorders. The studies carried out with this peptide have demonstrated its therapeutic effect and render it as an attractive candidate to be considered in several neurological disorders linked to neuroinflammation or abnormal neural development.

Intranasal VIP safely restores volume to multiple grey matter nuclei in patients with CIRS

“…In fact, Cui [15] cites VIP as possibly able to treat Alzheimer's disease; Dogrukol suggests that VIP could treat Parkinson's disease, as VIP crosses the blood-brain barrier. Morell [16] suggests that VIP has an immunomodulatory and neuroprotective role in the CNS (see this reference for an overview of VIP in normal adult brain physiology; and VIP in neuroinflammatory diseases). Morell also supports safety and efficacy of VIP, citing studies in pulmonary hypertension and sarcoidosis, but that drug delivery by systemic application is reduced by endopeptidases [19,20] and by hepatic metabolism [21].…”

“…There is extensive literature demonstrating penetration of intact VIP across the blood/brain barrier [13,14] as well as evidence of neuroprotection that prompted consideration of VIP in Parkinson's [13] and Alzheimer's [15,16]; [17]. In this open label study, we collected serial CNS volumetric scans before and after initiation of VIP, seeking proof of concept that use of VIP could affect grey matter volume.…”

Retinoprotective Effects of TAT-Bound Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide

“…VIP was originally isolated as a vasoactive peptide in the airways, later confirmed in the gastrointestinal tract (Vu et al 2015 ). VIP is involved, among others, in immunomodulatory pathways (Abad and Tan 2018 ; Carrión et al 2016 ; Jimeno et al 2014 ), in nervous system development and in the acquisition of certain neurological disorders (Maugeri et al 2018a , b ; Morell et al 2012 ).…”

Vasoactive intestinal peptide/pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, and their receptors and cancer

“…These include their roles in inflammatory disorders[10-14]; immune/autoimmune diseases[10, 11]; neurodevelopment/behavior[15-17]; neuroprotection/neurodegenerative disorders[18-23]; pulmonary diseases(asthma, etc. )[24]; sepsis[25]; learning/memory disorders[26]; CNS/neurological disorders[14, 21, 27-29]; diabetes[30, 31]; migraine[32, 33]; stress-responses/disorders[34, 35]; renal injuries[20] and general reviews of their signaling/ pharmacology as well their roles in physiology/pathophysiology[3••, 5, 6, 36, 37]. In this review the roles of VIP/PACAP in neoplastic processes, which has generally not been dealt with recently[38, 39], will be concentrated on.…”