title: [Curing mental retardation: searching for balance].
abstract: Mental retardation (MR) occurs in 2 to 3 % of the general population and is still not therapeutically addressed. Milder forms of MR result from deficient synaptogenesis and/or impaired synaptic plasticity during childhood. These alterations would result from disequilibrium in signalling pathways regulating the balance between long term potentiation (LTP) and long term depression (LTD) in certain neurons such as hippocampus neurons. To provide mentally retarded children with increased cognitive abilities, novel experimental approaches are currently being developed to characterize signalling status associated with MR and to identify therapeutic targets that would restore lost equilibrium. Several studies also highlighted the major role played by molecular switches like kinases, phosphatases, small G proteins and their regulators in the coordination and integration of signalling pathways associated with synaptic plasticity. These proteins may therefore constitute promising therapeutic targets for a number of cognitive deficiencies.
authors.affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal, Département de chimie, Pharmaqam, Biomed, CP 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C3P8, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harel
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jenna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015195:Drug Design; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D005810:Multigene Family; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011494:Protein Kinases; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases