NEUROTROPHIC FACTORS - REPAIR AND REGENERATION IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Neurotrophic factors promote maintenance, repair and regeneration of s elected neurons in vitro and in vivo. They include nerve growth factor (NGF) and other neurotrophins, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and other cytokines, and a number of growth factors. Molecular properties of the trophic proteins and their transducing receptors are increasin gly well characterized. Interest in the neurotrophic factors has great ly accelerated over the past decade with accumulating evidence that th ey play important roles in the adult mammalian CNS as well as in its d evelopment. Adult in vivo models for degenerative CNS conditions have demonstrated the ability of exogenous neurotrophic factors (NTFs) to p rotect against neuronal damage induced by traumatic or chemical experi mental lesions, particularly with regard to easily identifiable neuron s such as cholinergic and dopaminergic ones. Other models have shown b eneficial effects of NTF administration with regard to axonal regenera tion inside CNS tissue.