title: Agmatine: clinical applications after 100 years in translation.
abstract: Agmatine (decarboxylated arginine) has been known as a natural product for over 100 years, but its biosynthesis in humans was left unexplored owing to long-standing controversy. Only recently has the demonstration of agmatine biosynthesis in mammals revived research, indicating its exceptional modulatory action at multiple molecular targets, including neurotransmitter systems, nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and polyamine metabolism, thus providing bases for broad therapeutic applications. This timely review, a concerted effort by 16 independent research groups, draws attention to the substantial preclinical and initial clinical evidence, and highlights challenges and opportunities, for the use of agmatine in treating a spectrum of complex diseases with unmet therapeutic needs, including diabetes mellitus, neurotrauma and neurodegenerative diseases, opioid addiction, mood disorders, cognitive disorders and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS 39058, USA.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Piletz
authors.forename: Feyza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aricioglu
authors.forename: Juei-Tang
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fairbanks
authors.forename: Varda H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Gilad
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haenisch
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halaris
authors.forename: Samin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gerhard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Molderings
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia S
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satriano
authors.forename: Gong Je
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Gad M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gilad
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000376:Agmatine