Title:The Role of Inflammation in Neurological Disorders
Volume: 24
Issue: 14
Author(s): Diana Degan, Raffaele Ornello, Cindy Tiseo, Antonio Carolei, Simona Sacco and Francesca Pistoia*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, Neurological Institute, University of L`Aquila, L`Aquila,Italy
Keywords:
Inflammation, neurodegeneration, stroke, traumatic, therapeutic, neuroprotective.
Abstract: Traditionally neurological diseases have been classified, on the basis of their pathogenesis, into vascular,
degenerative, inflammatory and traumatic diseases. Examples of the main inflammatory neurological diseases
include multiple sclerosis, which is characterized by an immune-mediated response against myelin proteins, and
meningoencephalitis, where the inflammatory response is triggered by infectious agents. However, recent evidence
suggests a potential role of inflammatory mechanisms also in neurological conditions not usually categorized
as inflammatory, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’ disease, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injuries. The activation of glial cells and of complement-mediated pathways,
the synthesis of inflammation mediators, and the recruitment of leukocytes are the key elements of secondary
inflammatory injury following a wide spectrum of primary brain injuries. A better understanding of the role that
inflammatory processes play in the natural history of diseases is essential in order to identify potential therapeutic
targets and to develop integrated pharmacological approaches acting at different levels and stages of the diseases.
