Neurotrophic factors cells targeted

Neuronal survival and differentiation are regulated by many factors including neurotrophins and the Trk family of RPTKs. The prototype neurotrophin, nerve growth factor (NGF), promotes the survival of neurons during a period of programmed cell death in embryonic and early postnatal developmental stages. It is a target-derived neurotrophic factor that modulates the functions of the... 

Neurotrophic factors play a central role in development and maintenance of neuronal cells. After release from the target cells, they bind specific receptors on the nerve termini, are internalized and carried up the axon to the perikaryon by retrograde transport. This process helps guide the direction of neurite growth (i.e. a chemoattractant activity) during neuronal development, and also serves to nourish the developing cell. Once established, the process of retrograde transport must continue if the cell is to survive and remain differentiated. 

Thus, it is currently not clear how local factors in the target tissue modulate recovery from an immune attack in the PNS. As yet unknown genetic susceptibility factors may modulate the inflammatory process itself and the response of axons and of myelinating Schwann cells to the inflammatory assault. As an example, axonal degeneration occurring in autoimmune neuropathies clearly affects prognosis (Dalakas, 1999). Indeed, parallel expression of neurotrophic factors and their receptors in CIDP may reflect such survival mechanisms in the PNS (Yamamoto et al., 2002). 

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