Antibody Prevents Death of Neurons after Injury

A study has shown that the infusion of an antibody to the proNGF protein in an animal model can save injured neurons from death, suggesting a therapy for brain and spinal cord damage. The study was published in the March 19, 2004, online Proceedings of the [U.S.] National Academy of Sciences.

Dead or dying nerve cells caused by stroke or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's are known to trigger cell death in their healthy neighbors. The resulting cascade of cell deaths is often more devastating to the brain and spinal cord than the original injury, according to the researchers. They used an antibody to the proNGF protein, secreted by cells in an injured brain, to prevent its interaction with another protein, p75, found on the surface of injured neurons. By doing so, they were able to prevent the death of cortical neurons in mice and rats. The treatment increased nerve cell survival by more than 90%, compared to 61-66% in untreated animals.

Although the antibody used in the study is not appropriate for the treatment of humans, the study shows that proNGF is a viable target for discovering molecules that can be used to block the protein in patients. ProNGF is an unprocessed form of NGF, nerve growth factor.

"If you could identify a compound that could pass the blood-brain barrier and impair the binding of proneurotrophin to cell receptors, then it could be a potential drug that could be tested in animals and eventually patients,” noted Dr. Barbara Hempstead, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College (New York, NY, USA; www.med.cornell.edu) and a co-author of the study. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (USA), Ohio State University (USA), and the University of Saarland (Germany) also contributed to the study.




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