Neuropharmacology

Biography

Biography: Gjumrakch Aliev

Abstract

It has been postulated that Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer are systemic process, which involves multiple pathophysiological factors. Nitric oxide- (NO-) dependent oxidative stress appeared to be key pathway that results in mitochondrial ultrastructural alterations and DNA damage in cases of Alzheimer disease (AD) and may be in other pathology. However, little is known about these pathways in human cancers, especially during the development as well as the progression of primary brain tumors and metastatic colorectal cancer. One of the key features of tumors is the deficiency in tissue energy that accompanies mitochondrial lesions and formation of the hypoxic smaller sized mitochondria with ultrastructural abnormalities. We theorize that mitochondrial involvement may play a significant role in the etiopathogenesis of cancer. Recent studies also demonstrate a potential link between AD and cancer, and anticancer drugs are being explored for the inhibition of AD-like pathology in transgenic mice. Severity of the cancer growth, metastasis, and brain pathology in AD (in animal models that mimic human AD) correlate with the degree of mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities. Recent advances in the cell-cycle reentry of the terminally differentiated neuronal cells indicate that NO-dependent mitochondrial abnormal activities and mitotic cell division are not the only important pathogenic factors in pathogenesis of cancer and AD, but open a new window for the development of novel more specific and target based treatment strategies at least for these devastating diseases.