Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Central Nervous System Physiology and Pathology: From Synaptic Plasticity to Alzheimer's Disease.

ABSTRACT: Tissue plasminogen activator's (tPA) fibrinolytic function in the vasculature is well-established. This specific role for tPA in the vasculature, however, contrasts with its pleiotropic activities in the central nervous system. Numerous physiological and pathological functions have been attributed to tPA in the central nervous system, including neurite outgrowth and regeneration; synaptic and spine plasticity; neurovascular coupling; neurodegeneration; microglial activation; and blood-brain barrier permeability. In addition, multiple substrates, both plasminogen-dependent and -independent, have been proposed to be responsible for tPA's action(s) in the central nervous system. This review aims to dissect a subset of these different functions and the different molecular mechanisms attributed

SUBMITTER: Stevenson TK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9175616 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature