Emerging roles of insulin-like growth factor-I in the adult brain.
All tissues in the body are under the influence of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Together with insulin, IGF-I is a key regulator of cell metabolism and growth. IGF-I also acts in the central nervous system, where it affects many different cell populations. In this brief review, we discuss the many roles of IGF-I in the adult brain, and present the idea that diseases affecting the brain will perturb IGF-I activity, although more refined studies at the molecular and cellular level are needed before we can firmly established this possibility. We also suggest that under normal physiological conditions IGF-I may play a significant role in higher brain functions underlying cognition, and may serve a homeostatic role during brain aging. Among newly emerging issues, the effects of IGF-I on non-neuronal cells within the nervous system and their impact in brain physiology and pathology are becoming very important in understanding the biology of this peptide in the brain.
Fernandez
S
S
Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Fernandez
A M
AM
Lopez-Lopez
C
C
Torres-Aleman
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I