Brain Aging and Disorders of the Central Nervous System: Kynurenines and Drug Metabolism

Title:Brain Aging and Disorders of the Central Nervous System: Kynurenines and Drug Metabolism

Volume: 17 Issue: 5

Author(s): Nóra Török, Zsófia Majláth, Ferenc Fülöp, József Toldi and László Vécsei

Affiliation:

Keywords: Aging, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, glutamate excitotoxicity, Huntington’s disease, kynurenine pathway, migraine, multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration, neuroprotection, Parkinson’s disease, picolinic acid, schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii.

Abstract: Introduction: The kynurenine pathway includes several neuroactive compounds, including kynurenic acid, picolinic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine and quinolinic acid. The enzymatic cascade of the kynurenine pathway is tightly connected with the immune system, and may provide a link between the immune system and neurotransmission.

Main Areas Covered: Alterations in this cascade are associated with neurodegenerative, neurocognitive, autoimmune and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, migraine or schizophrenia.

Highlights: This review highlights the alterations in this metabolic pathway in the physiological aging process and in different disorders. A survey is also presented of therapeutic possibilities of influencing this metabolic route, which can be achieved through the use of synthetic kynurenic acid analogues, enzyme inhibitors or even nanotechnology.

Cite this article as:

Török Nóra, Majláth Zsófia, Fülöp Ferenc, Toldi József and Vécsei László, Brain Aging and Disorders of the Central Nervous System: Kynurenines and Drug Metabolism, Current Drug Metabolism 2016; 17 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200217666151222155043