Frog-derived peptides and neuroprotection

The incidence of age-related diseases (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases) is increasing as the world’s population lives longer. Neurodegeneration, the dysfunction and loss of neurons, is a hallmark of chronic (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) and acute (e.g., stroke) pathological co...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Moreira, Daniel C., Batagin-Neto, Augusto [UNESP], Leite, José Roberto S.A.
Format: book part
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2024
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repository:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/298887
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23763-8.00018-X
https://hdl.handle.net/11449/298887
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Antioxidant
hypoxia
ischemia
microglia
neurodegeneration
oxidative stress
Description
Summary:The incidence of age-related diseases (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases) is increasing as the world’s population lives longer. Neurodegeneration, the dysfunction and loss of neurons, is a hallmark of chronic (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) and acute (e.g., stroke) pathological conditions for which current treatment is less than ideal. This has motivated the search for novel therapeutic agents, including peptide drugs. In the last years, peptides found in the skin secretion of amphibians have shown neuroprotective activity under experimental conditions. This chapter provides an overview of the studies that have investigated the neuroprotective potential of peptides isolated from the skin secretion of anurans. Six peptides, including two ocellatins and two tryptophyllins, originally found in the skin secretion of five anuran species are covered. The evidence for the neuroprotective activity of these peptides mainly stems from their ability to modulate microglia activation and the redox metabolism, key therapeutic targets for treatment of neurodegeneration. Other targets, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase-related signaling components, have also been investigated. Despite the necessity of further studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action, as well as their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, peptides from the skin secretion of anurans hold promise as therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases.