Laquinimod targets immune cells to increase neuroprotection
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:07 am
Laquinimod is an orally available synthetic compound that has been successfully evaluated in phase II/III clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
The mechanism of action of laquinimod has not been fully elucidated, but a study published in the January 2012 issue of The American Journal of Pathology suggests that laquinimod triggers immune cells within the central nervous system to produce and release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), contributing to the repair or survival of neurons and thus limiting brain damage.
"Our data are indicative of a direct and sustained effect of laquinimod on the up-regulation of bioactive BDNF in patients with RRMS. Additionally, we demonstrate that laquinimod targets monocytes and skews the phagocyte population towards a regulatory phenotype, which in turn mediates immune modulation in vivo," explained Jan Thöne, MD, of the Department of Neurology at St. Josef-Hospital Bochum and Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.... Read More - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/1735