Spinal cord neurodegenerative diseases

A broad variety of diseases may cause neuropathic pain. The majority of diseases associated with neuropathic pain involve the peripheral nervous system. These diseases include traumatic injuries hereditary, metabolic, inflammatory or paraneoplastic neuropathies and infections. However, neuropathic pain can also be caused by injuries or disorders affecting the spinal cord or the brain (central neuropathic pain) tumors stroke epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders [20]. Genetic factors appear to contribute to inter-individual differences in the susceptibility to neuropathic pain. 

As previously discussed, the COX-2 inhibitors have selectivity for inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme, which has low constitutive activity but is highly inducible at sites of tissue injury. In addition to the peripheral role of COX-2 in inflammation, COX-2 may play an important role in the CNS. COX-2 is expressed constitutively in some excitatory neurons in the brain and spinal cord and is induced in traumatic brain injury such as that induced by ischemia and seizures. It has been hypothesized that COX-2 may also be involved in neurodegen-erative diseases, since COX-2 inhibitors have shown some positive effects in Alzheimer s disease. Thus, the mechanism of action of COX-2 inhibitors may involve brain and spinal cord sites as well as local sites of injury. 

Indications Central nervous system disease, lysosome storage disease, neurodegenerative disease, spinal cord injury Technology Stem-cell therapy... 

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are potent synthetic agonists of PPARy and medicine for type 2 diabetes. TZDs were shown to induce neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia by blocking inflammation (Culman et al., 2007). Spinal cord injury (SCI), another type of neurodegenerative disease, also induces massive inflammation that precipitates secondary neuronal death. Park et al. (2007) analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of TZDs, pioglitazone, and rosiglitazone, after SCI... 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an adult onset neurodegenerative disease. The motomeurons in the brainstem and in the spinal cord are selectively damaged. 15-20% of the patients have a mutation in the gene for the cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD I). It is thought that superoxide is not detoxified, side reactions of this enzyme form oxidants including peroxynitrite and the formation of nitrated proteins, is one of the reasons for cellular death [5]. 

Among the neurodegenerative diseases predominantly affecting the spinal cord are ALS and spinal muscular atrophy, in which the most severe lesions are found in the anterior part of the spinal cord, and the already cited Friedreich ataxia. 

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