Cell cycle activation and CNS injury

Although traditionally it was believed that adult neurons have entered a permanent post-mitotic phase, the latest experimental data indicate that cell cycle constituents critically affect normal functions of the adult central nervous system (CNS), as well as contribute to the pathophysiology of both acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Recent study has also suggested that cell cycle pathways are involved in mediating not only neuronal cell death but also glial changes which may play key roles in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, therapies that inhibit cell cycle may have robust neuroprotective profiles, particularly after acute insults, by targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms and could be useful clinically if used with a delivery focused on specific areas and of a limited duration.