Skip to main content

Galectins in the brain: advances in neuroinflammation, neuroprotection and therapeutic opportunities

imagePurpose of review Galectin interactions with glycoproteins and glycolipids modulate a variety of cellular responses that are now increasingly explored to better understand neuroinflammation processes and eventually find new therapeutic opportunities for neurological diseases. Recent findings Gal-1 confirmed its indirect neuroprotective roles through anti-inflammatory properties whereas Gal-3 remains elusive, showing anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory roles depending on damaging conditions and genetic background of mice models. Interestingly, microglial intracellular rather than extracellular overexpression of Gal-3 arose as contributing to the pathogenesis of Huntington disease, involving NLRP3 inflammasome activation and inhibition of autophagic removal of damaged endolysosomes. Decreasing Gal-3 expression had favorable effects upon disease symptoms. Gal-3 expanded its role in this endolysosomal surveillance system originally involving Gal-8 and Gal-9, which protect cells against neuropathogenic proteins and becomes impaired or even detrimental under neurodegenerative conditions. Also, Gal-1, Gal-3 and Gal-4, together with changes in glycan structures define the outcome of neuroinflammation and remyelination processes. Gal-8 emerged as a new neuroprotector factor, which added to its immunosuppressive role and presence in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may generate a neuroprotective environment in the brain. Summary Galectins modulate neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative processes contributing to microglia polarization, immunosurveillance and neuroprotection through extracellular and intracellular interactions with particular and dynamic patterns of glycans, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.

from Current Opinion in Neurology - Current Issue https://ift.tt/2SGI93m

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menopause Symptoms Reduced by Cold Water Swimming

Cold water swimming significantly eases menopausal symptoms. Surveying 1114 women, with 785 experiencing menopause, researchers found improvements in anxiety, mood swings, low mood, and hot flushes among participants. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/9AqHsEa
Post a Comment
Read more

UPI: Kids with psych disorders most likely to take dangerous viral challenges

The “choking game” — and other clearly ill-advised and dangerous internet challenges — leave many parents wondering what drives teens to take the bait and participate. Now, a new study suggests that an underlying psychological disorder may be one reason why some kids jump at online dares such as the “Bird Box” challenge, where people walk around blindfolded, and the Tide Pod challenge, daring people to eat laundry detergent. (January 28, 2019) Read the full article here from Brain Health Daily http://bit.ly/2DIWHbD
Post a Comment
Read more

The emerging influential role of microglia in neurology

In her most catchily titled book, The Angel and the Assassin , Donna Jackson Nakazawa highlighed nerve cells which have hitherto been very little acknowledged – microglia . Long ignored as bit players in the big league of the nervous system, Nakazawa colourfully illustrated what many neuroscientists are beginning to realise: the small size of microglia belies their huge influence ; m icroglia are, after all, the defence force of the nervous system, protecting the brain from microbial invaders . In keeping with their small size, their role is to surreptitiously  present the antigens of invading bugs to T cells , the toffs who actually carry out the final hatchet job . It is therefore not surprising that any dysfunction of microglia will come with significant clinical consequences .  By GerryShaw – Own work , CC BY-SA 3.0 , Link The most important clinical fallout of dysfunctional microglia appears to be the emergence of dementia. It is indeed spec...
Post a Comment
Read more