Dopamine neuron stimulating actions of a GDNF propeptide.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neurotrophic factors, such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), have shown great promise for protection and restoration of damaged or dying dopamine neurons in animal models and in some Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical trials. However, the delivery of neurotrophic factors to the brain is difficult due to their large size and poor bio-distribution. In addition, developing more efficacious trophic factors is hampered by the difficulty of synthesis and structural modification. Small molecules with neurotrophic actions that are easy to synthesize and modify to improve bioavailability are needed.

Methods and findings

Here we present the neurobiological actions of dopamine neuron stimulating peptide-11 (DNSP-11), an 11-mer peptide from the proGDNF dom

SUBMITTER: Bradley LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2841203 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature