Cell & Bioscience, 2022 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13578-022-00923-2 · Published: November 3, 2022
The study focuses on finding new drugs for neurological diseases, especially those that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Steroids are promising because they are lipophilic and can easily enter the brain. The researchers identified a synthetic analog of pregnenolone, compound #43, that shows potential for treating neurological disorders. The identified compound, #43, promotes neurite extension and changes growth cone morphology in cerebellar granule neuronal culture, suggesting it can enhance axon extension. Additionally, compound #43 accelerates the formation of stable microtubule tracks in developing cerebellar axons of zebrafish. Compound #43 stabilizes microtubule dynamics and changes growth cone morphology from a paused to fast-growing shape. It functions at micromolar concentrations, indicating high potency. These findings suggest compound #43 may be a therapeutic candidate for neurological diseases.
Compound #43 may serve as a novel therapeutic candidate for neurological diseases due to its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and promote neuron development.
The use of non-metabolizable P5 analogs such as compound #43 can help differentiate the effects of P5 from its downstream metabolites, enhancing our understanding of neurosteroid function.
Compound #43's specific effects on cerebellar development suggest that it may be useful for developing targeted treatment strategies for cerebellar-related neurological disorders.