Pharmacology of neurotrophic factors.

The field of neurotrophic factor pharmacology emerged during the past decade with the discovery that these proteins can counteract neuronal atrophy and death in the adult nervous system. These concepts are being tested in clinical trials. Therapeutic use of neurotrophic proteins seems practical for diseases of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), where they can be given by systemic administration. For diseases of the CNS, special administration strategies will have to be developed to deliver the neurotrophic factors into the brain. The development of small molecule mimetics represents an alternative approach that is actively pursued to provide brain-penetrant neurotrophics.