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Astrocytes as targets for drug discovery
Kirill Gorshkov1, Francis Aguisanda1, Natasha Thorne1
1National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Drug Discovery Today
|January 11, 2018
Summary
Astrocytes are vital for neuronal health and implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Targeting both neurons and astrocytes offers a novel therapeutic strategy for conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Astrocytes play a critical role in maintaining neuronal health and function.
- Dysfunctional astrocytes are implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significance of astrocytes in neurodegeneration.
- To propose a novel therapeutic strategy targeting both neurons and astrocytes for neurological diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies on astrocytic function in neurodegeneration.
- Analysis of historical drug development approaches for neurological diseases.
Main Results:
- Astrocytic abnormalities are key contributors to neurodegenerative disease progression.
- Current drug development primarily targets neurons, neglecting the role of astrocytes.
Conclusions:
- Targeting both diseased neurons and astrocytes presents a promising new avenue for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Co-culturing human neurons with astrocytes may represent a significant advancement in drug discovery for these conditions.
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