title: Medicinal plants: a natural chaperones source for treating neurological disorders.
abstract: Currently, no pharmaceuticals for the etiological treatment of neurodegenerative protein-misfolding diseases (e.g., ALS, Alzheimer's or prion diseases) are available. In this brief communication the development of chaperone-based medications from medicinal plants (e.g., Ginkgo biloba) are reviewed as referred to specific protein-protein interactions of plant metallochaperones and human enzymes. It is indicated that bioactive copper chaperones for superoxide dismutase isolated from medicinal plants may be lead molecules for drug development in several diseases concerning metal ion metabolisms of man and animals.
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut Phytosphäre (ICG-3), Jülich 52425, Germany. b.kastenholz@fz-juelich.de
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kastenholz
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Garfin
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D055808:Drug Discovery; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D017510:Protein Folding / Q000187:drug effects; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1
chemical_list: D008667:Metalloproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; D003300:Copper; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1