title: Endocannabinoids and Neurodegenerative Disorders: Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Chorea, Alzheimer's Disease, and Others.
abstract: This review focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid signaling system in controlling neuronal survival, an extremely important issue to be considered when developing new therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. First, we will describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and the signaling pathways, underlying these neuroprotective properties, including the control of glutamate homeostasis, calcium influx, the toxicity of reactive oxygen species, glial activation and other inflammatory events; and the induction of autophagy. We will then concentrate on the preclinical studies and the few clinical trials that have been carried out targeting endocannabinoid signaling in three important chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorders (Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, and Alzheimer's disease), as well as in other less well-studied disorders. We will end by offering some ideas and proposals for future research that should be carried out to optimize endocannabinoid-based treatments for these disorders. Such studies will strengthen the possibility that these therapies will be investigated in the clinical scenario and licensed for their use in specific disorders.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain. jjfr@med.ucm.es.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain. jjfr@med.ucm.es.|Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain. jjfr@med.ucm.es.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.|Departamento de Ciencias Biosanitarias, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.|Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055808:Drug Discovery; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000378:metabolism; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Cannabinoids; Endocannabinoids; Huntington’s disease; Neurodegeneration; Neuroprotection; Parkinson’s disease