The adult mammalian brain is not well equipped for
self-repair. Although neuronal loss reinstalls parts of the molecular machinery
that is essential for neuronal development, other factors and processes
actively impede regeneration of the damaged brain. Many therapeutic efforts
thus aim to promote or inhibit these endogenous pathways. In addition, more
radical approaches appear on the horizon, such as replacement of lost neurons
with grafted tissue.
Neurorepair, however, is not the topic of this book. Here,
we go one step back in the sequence of events that lead eventually to the
demise of a neuronal population. This book focuses on the precious period when
an initial damaging event evolves into a vast loss of neurons. The time frame
might be hours to days in acute brain injury or months to years in chronic
neurodegenerative diseases. Given the limited capacity of regeneration,
protecting neurons that are on the brink of death is a major challenge for
basic and clinical neuroscience, with implications for a broad spectrum of
neurological and psychiatric diseases, ranging from stroke and brain trauma to
Parkinson´s and Alzheimer´s disease. In recent years, rapid progress has been
made in unravelling many of the cellular and molecular players in neuronal death
and survival. However, as the field develops into more and more specialized
branches, the notion of common pathogenic pathways of neuronal loss might get
buried under the wealth of novel data. Thus it seems a timely endeavor to
provide an overview on the most exciting recent developments in neuroprotective
signaling and experimental neuroprotection.
This book brings together experts from cellular and
molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology,
neuroimmunology and neurology. It is my hope that the book serves as a
reference text for both basic neuroscientists and clinicians, offering a fresh
look at many (certainly not all) of the highly intertwined processes that
determine the fate of CNS neurons in the face of acute or chronic insults.
The book is written mostly from the viewpoint of the basic
scientist who works at the cellular and molecular level, but who also develops
and tests new hypotheses using animal models of acute and chronic brain injury.
Although many of the new findings hold promise for therapeutic interventions,
their translation into clinically relevant neuroprotective strategies is still
in its infancy. If this book helps to bridge this gap, it will certainly be
worth the effort.
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