Signalling for survival and death in neurones - The role of stress-activated kinases, JNK and p38

The pathways involved in neuronal survival or death have been extensively s tudied mainly in cell lines. Recent evidence has suggested that activation of the stress activated pathways, jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 may p lay important roles in neuronal cell death or regeneration. In this review we will discuss these pathways in detail. We will examine the evidence that these pathways are important in neuronal cell death. Finally we will revie w the evidence that inhibitors of these pathways have a neuroprotective eff ect both in vitro and in vivo. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights re served.