dynorphins and Brain-Neoplasms

Nardilysin is a metalloprotease that cleaves peptides, such as dynorphin-A, α-neoendorphin, and glucagon, at the N-terminus of arginine and lysine residues in dibasic moieties. It has various functionally important molecular interaction partners (heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor, tumour necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme, neuregulin 1, beta-secretase 1, malate dehydrogenase, P42(IP4)/centaurin-α1, the histone H3 dimethyl Lys4, and others) and is involved in a plethora of normal brain functions. Less is known about possible implications of nardilysin for brain diseases. This review, which includes some of our own recent findings, attempts to summarize the current knowledge on possible roles of nardilysin in Alzheimer disease, Down syndrome, schizophrenia, mood disorders, alcohol abuse, heroin addiction, and cancer. We herein show that nardilysin is a Janus-faced enzyme with regard to brain pathology, being probably neuropathogenic in some diseases, but neuroprotective in others.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Brain Diseases; Brain Neoplasms; Down Syndrome; Dynorphins; Endorphins; Glucagon; Humans; Metalloendopeptidases; Mood Disorders; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Protein Precursors; Schizophrenia; Substance-Related Disorders

This review addresses the main neuropathologic advances that have been made over recent years in the study of focal lesions in patients with epilepsy undergoing surgical treatment. There have been revisions and simplifications to the classification of focal cortical dysplasias. Hippocampal sclerosis is a well-characterized lesion but further pathologic studies have explored its possible relationship to temporal lobe developmental lesions, ongoing neurogenesis and mechanisms of its epileptogenicity. The important contribution of astrocytes to epileptogenesis is also unfolding and is briefly discussed, as are the possible cellular mechanisms of drug resistance.

Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Cytokines; Dynorphins; Epilepsy; Hippocampus; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Nervous System Diseases; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; Sclerosis