Abstract:

The neurotrophins are a family of polypeptide growth factors that are essential for the development and maintenance of the vertebrate nervous system. In recent years, data have emerged indicating that neurotrophins could have a broader role than their name might suggest. In particular, the putative role of NGF and its receptor TrkA in immune system homeostasis has become a much studied topic, whereas information on the other neurotrophins is scarce in this regard. This paper reviews what is known about the expression and possible functions of neurotrophins and their receptors in different immune tissues and cells, as well as recent data obtained from studies of transgenic mice in our laboratory. Results from studies to date support the idea that neurotrophins may regulate some immune functions. They also play an important role in the development of the thymus and in the survival of thymocytes.

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Neurotrophins and the immune system

^{Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain}

^{Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain}

^{Dipartimento di Morfologia, Biochimica, Fisiologia e Produzione Animale (Sezione di Morfologia) Università di Messina, Italy}

^{Departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA}

Correspondence Dr J. A. Vega, Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Julian Claveria s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain. E-mail: se.ivoinu.oerroc@agevaj

Accepted 2003 May 7.

Abstract

The neurotrophins are a family of polypeptide growth factors that are essential for the development and maintenance of the vertebrate nervous system. In recent years, data have emerged indicating that neurotrophins could have a broader role than their name might suggest. In particular, the putative role of NGF and its receptor TrkA in immune system homeostasis has become a much studied topic, whereas information on the other neurotrophins is scarce in this regard. This paper reviews what is known about the expression and possible functions of neurotrophins and their receptors in different immune tissues and cells, as well as recent data obtained from studies of transgenic mice in our laboratory. Results from studies to date support the idea that neurotrophins may regulate some immune functions. They also play an important role in the development of the thymus and in the survival of thymocytes.

Keywords: immunocompetent cells, lymphoid organs, neurotrophins, p75^{, Trk receptors}

Abstract

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Spanish DGICYT (CC-99-SAF-0119-CO2O2) and University of Messina, Italy (PRA 1999). We wish to thank Mr Diego F. Monjil for his excellent technical assistance in preparing the figures.

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