title: P2X7 receptors in oligodendrocytes: a novel target for neuroprotection.
abstract: Intense ATP signaling through P2X7 purinergic receptors can lead to excitotoxicity, a feature which initiates neuronal demise in experimental paradigms relevant to ischemia and to traumatic injury. In addition, recent data provide evidence that oligodendrocytes also express P2X7 receptors that are activated under experimental pathological conditions involving white matter demise. Thus, this receptor subtype is a promising target for the development of new drugs to prevent white matter damage in acute and chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: CIBERNED, Departamento de Neurociencias, Universidad del País Vasco, 48940-Leioa, and Neurotek-UPV/EHU, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48170 Zamudio, Spain. carlos.matute@ehu.es
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matute
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C546468:P2RX7 protein, human; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate