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Review Article

Exp Neurobiol 2013; 22(3): 167-172

Published online September 30, 2013

https://doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.3.167

© The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences

Promise of Neurorestoration and Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Parkinson's Disease with Multi Target Drugs: An Alternative to Stem Cell Therapy

Moussa BH Youdim1* and Young J. Oh2

1Abital Pharma Pipeline Ltd, 96 Yuval Alon St., 61500 Tel Aviv, Israel, 2Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Seoul 120-749, Korea

Correspondence to: *To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TEL: 972-4-9090000, FAX: 972-4-9090001
e-mail: youdim@tx.technion.ac.il

Abstract

There is an unmet need in progressive neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The present therapeutics for these diseases at best is symptomatic and is not able to delay disease or possess disease modifying activity. Thus an approach to drug design should be made to slow or halt progressive course of a neurological disorder by interfering with a disease-specific pathogenetic process. This would entail the ability of the drug to protect neurons by blocking the common pathway for neuronal injury and cell death and the ability to promote regeneration of neurons and restoration of neuronal function. We have now developed a number of multi target drugs which possess neuroprotective, and neurorestorative activity as well as being able to active PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α), SIRT1 (NAD-dependent deacetylase protein) and NTF (mitochondrial transcription factor) that are intimately associated with mitochondrial biogenesis.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, neuroprotective, neurorestorative, multi target drug, iron chelator, mitochondrial biogenesis