Nerve growth factor: a neurotrophin with activity on cells of the immune system.
Numerous studies published in the last two decades provide evidence that nerve growth factor (NGF), a polypeptide originally discovered because of its neurotrophic activity, acts on a variety of cells of the immune system, including mast cells, eosinophils, and B and T lymphocytes. NGF has been shown to increase during inflammatory responses, autoimmune disorders, parasitic infections, and allergic diseases. Moreover, stress, which is characterized also by activation of a variety of immune cells, causes a significant increase in basal plasma NGF levels. Recently published studies reveal that hematopoietic progenitor cells seem to be able to produce and/or respond to NGF. We report these data and discuss the hypothesis of the possible implication of NGF on the functional activities of immune cells.
Aloe
L
L
Institute of Neurobiology, CNR, Rome, Italy. aloe@biocell.irmkant.rm.cnr.it
Simone
M D
MD
Properzi
F
F
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor