NEUROTROPHIC FACTORS - FROM MOLECULE TO MAN

Recent advances in the understanding of the physiological role of nerv e growth factor (NGF) have raised the question of whether neurotrophic factors might have clinical potential in the treatment of neurodegene rative disease or nerve trauma. Although NGF was first characterized a s a target-derived survival factor for developing sympathetic and sens ory neurons, it is now clear that it plays an important role in the ma intenance and regeneration of mature peripheral neurons. However, the highly restricted specificity of NGF for sympathetic neurons, subpopul ations of neural-crest-derived sensory neurons, and striatal and basal forebrain cholinergic neurons has, for almost two decades, stimulated the search for other neurotrophic factors that might act on the many classes of neurons that do not respond to NGF, In this article, the bi ology of the recently discovered NGF-related family of neurotrophic fa ctors and ciliary neurotrophic factor and their receptors are reviewed , especially in the context of the therapeutic potential of these fact ors in the treatment of neurological disorders of the CNS.