Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Symposium 3

Is "Non-Cell Autonomous" neuron death common to neurodegenerative diseases?

Koji Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D.

RIKEN Brain Science Institute

Although glial activation and proliferation is widely seen in the lesion of neurodegenerative diseases, the active roles of glial cells in the disease process have recently been elucidated. In this symposium, the research progress toward establishing the concept "non-cell autonomous" neurodegeneration is reviewed. While the glial cells are important component of "non-cell autonomous" neurodegeneration, the recent research suggests immune cells and related inflammation are also involved in pathomechanisms. Accumulating knowledge of "non-cell autonomous" neurodegeneration is now applied to many neurodegenerative diseases including ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and polyglutamine diseases, and should be carefully applied to further understanding of the sporadic neurodegenerative diseases and development of therapy targeted for non-neuronal cells.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (189K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 52: 1329|1331, 2012)
key words: neurodegeneration, glia, neuroinflammation

(Received: 25-May-12)