Odorants could elicit repair processes in melanized neuronal and skin cells
Barbara Pavan
Alessandro Dalpiaz
摘要：The expression of ectopic olfactory receptors (ORs) in melanized cells, such as the human brain nigrostri-atal dopaminergic neurons and skin melanocytes, is here pointed out. ORs are recognized to regulate skin melanogenesis, whereas OR expression in the dopaminergic neurons, characterized by accumulation of pigment neuromelanin, is downregulated in Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, the correlation between the pigmentation process and the dopamine pathway through α-synuclein expression is also highlighted. Purposely, these ORs are suggested as therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases related to the pig-mentation disorders. Based on this evidence, a possible way of turning odorants into drugs, acting on three specific olfactory receptors, OR51E2, OR2AT4 and VN1R1, is thus introduced. Various odorous molecules are shown to interact with these ORs and their therapeutic potential against melanogenic and neurodegen-erative dysfunctions, including melanoma and Parkinson's disease, is suggested. Finally, a direct functional link between olfactory and endocrine systems in human brain through VN1R1 is proposed, helping to counteract female susceptibility to Parkinson's disease in quiescent life.
机标关键词：dopaminergic neuronsneurodegenerative diseaseshuman braintherapeutic potential
资助基金：the University of Ferrara (F72I15000470005)
论文发表日期：2017-01-01
在线出版日期：2025-08-15（本平台首次上网日期，不代表文献的发表时间）
页数：4( 1401-1404 )
英文信息