title: BDNF-based synaptic repair as a disease-modifying strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that synaptic dysfunction is a key pathophysiological hallmark in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis, the impact of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in Alzheimer's disease-relevant endophenotypes - including episodic memory and hippocampal volume - and the technological progress in measuring synaptic changes in humans all pave the way for a 'synaptic repair' therapy for neurodegenerative diseases that targets pathophysiology rather than pathogenesis. This article reviews the key issues in translating BDNF biology into synaptic repair therapies.
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline, R&D China, Shanghai, 201203, China. bai.b.lu@gsk.com
authors.forename: Bai
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Guhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nagappan
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Pradeep J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020813:Receptor, trkB