Tag: Neurodegenerative diseases

While the mature human brain has a limited capacity for regeneration, producing only a small number of new neurons each day primarily in the hippocampus, scientists are actively investigating what drugs are used to regenerate brain cells in damaged areas. The ultimate goal is to find therapeutic agents that can repair neurological damage caused by disease or injury.

Riluzole was the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 1995. However, a newer medication, troriluzole, was developed as an optimized prodrug of riluzole, aiming to improve its pharmacokinetic properties and side effect profile.

According to landmark clinical trials, Riluzole was associated with a statistically significant prolongation of survival for patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This makes it the only widely available drug that prolongs survival in patients with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

First misidentified as a type of opioid receptor in the 1970s, modern pharmacology now recognizes that sigma ($σ$) receptors are a unique class of proteins involved in a wide array of cellular functions. The compelling question, "What is sigma primarily used for?", leads to a diverse list of potential therapeutic applications, including the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, and chronic pain.

Although neurotrophins strongly inhibit or delay degenerative processes in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, initial clinical trials with the protein showed variable results and severe side effects. This raises a critical question for researchers and patients alike: what is neurotrophin used for, and how can its therapeutic promise be realized for neurological repair?.