Blocking the deadly effects of the NMDA receptor in stroke.
Excessive activation of NMDA glutamate receptors contributes to neuronal death after stroke. In this issue, Tu et al. (2010) demonstrate that ischemic injury promotes the association of death-associated protein kinase 1 with the NMDA receptor, thereby potentiating its activity, and show that disrupting this association reduces damage to the brain.
Brain Research Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada.
Henry G S
HG
Martin
Yu Tian
YT
Wang
D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D010455:Peptides; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases