Eg. Mcgeer et Pl. Mcgeer, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN THE CNS - POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESISOF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS AND THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS, CNS DRUGS, 7(3), 1997, pp. 214-228
There is now considerable evidence that a number of neurodegenerative
diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, are c
haracterised by a chronic, but silent, inflammatory process in affecte
d brain regions. There are also many epidemiological studies indicatin
g that anti-inflammatory drugs may inhibit the onset and slow the prog
ression of Alzheimer's disease. The cytokines are important modulators
or inflammation, and evidence is beginning to accumulate that many oc
cur at abnormal levels in brain regions affected by disease or injury.
A number of cytokines, like many other inflammatory system proteins,
are made by brain cells. At present, the available information is gene
rally fragmentary, but the field of cytokines may offer new areas for
therapeutic intervention in neurological diseases. Some success has al
ready been reported in multiple sclerosis.