Premium
Protein Kinase C Activators as Synaptogenic and Memory Therapeutics
Author(s) -
Sun MiaoKun,
Alkon Daniel L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
archiv der pharmazie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1521-4184
pISSN - 0365-6233
DOI - 10.1002/ardp.200900050
Subject(s) - protein kinase c , synaptogenesis , neuroscience , memory impairment , dementia , cognition , amyloid precursor protein , protein kinase a , isozyme , psychology , alzheimer's disease , biology , kinase , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , disease , enzyme , biochemistry
The last decade has witnessed a rapid progress in understanding of the molecular cascades that may underlie memory and memory disorders. Among the critical players, activity of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms is essential for many types of learning and memory and their dysfunction, and is critical in memory disorders. PKC inhibition and functional deficits lead to an impairment of various types of learning and memory, consistent with the observations that neurotoxic amyloid inhibits PKC activity and that transgenic animal models with PKCβ deficit exhibit impaired capacity in cognition. In addition, PKC isozymes play a regulatory role in amyloid production and accumulation. Restoration of the impaired PKC signal pathway pharmacologically results in an enhanced memory capacity and synaptic remodeling / repair and synaptogenesis, and, therefore, represents a potentially important strategy for the treatment of memory disorders, including Alzheimer's dementia. The PKC activators, especially those that are isozyme‐specific, are a new class of drug candidates that may be developed as future memory therapeutics.