title: Molecular mechanisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in neuro-protection: Recent developments.
abstract: Neuronal cell injury, as a consequence of acute or chronic neurological trauma, is a significant cause of mortality around the world. On a molecular level, the condition is characterized by widespread cell death and poor regeneration, which can result in severe morbidity in survivors. Potential therapeutics are of major interest, with a promising candidate being brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a ubiquitous agent in the brain which has been associated with neural development and may facilitate protective and regenerative effects following injury. This review summarizes the available information on the potential benefits of BDNF and the molecular mechanisms involved in several pathological conditions, including hypoxic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It further explores the methods in which BDNF can be applied in clinical and therapeutic settings, and the potential challenges to overcome.
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hailin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Azeem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Chun-Yin
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: San
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Shiori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK; Department of Anaesthesiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. Electronic address: lianqingquanmz@163.com.
authors.forename: Qingquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK. Electronic address: d.ma@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Daqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Brain injury; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Neuroprotection