Current Neuropharmacology - Online First

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including ischemic stroke (IS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD), are leading causes of global disability and mortality, characterized by progressive neuronal loss and irreversible neural circuit damage. Despite advances in understanding their pathophysiology, therapeutic options remain limited due to the complexity of disease mechanisms and challenges in delivering treatments across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In this context, astrocyte reprogramming has emerged as a groundbreaking strategy for neural repair. By leveraging the plasticity of astrocytes, researchers have demonstrated the potential to convert these glial cells into functional neurons, offering a novel approach to replenish lost neurons and restore neural function. This review explores the latest advancements in astrocyte reprogramming, focusing on transcription factor-mediated, miRNA-induced, and small molecule-based strategies, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of astrocyte reprogramming in CNS diseases, including IS, AD, PD, and other neurodegenerative disorders, while addressing the challenges and future directions for clinical translation. Through a systematic analysis of recent studies, this review highlights the promise of astrocyte reprogramming as a transformative therapeutic strategy for CNS repair, providing new hope for patients with debilitating neurological conditions.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that impairs cognitive function. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease increases with the increase in the elderly population. Although the clear pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is not yet known, the formation of amyloid plaques and tau fibrils, diminished acetylcholine levels, and increased inflammation can be observed in patients. Alzheimer's disease, whose pathogenesis is not fully demonstrated, cannot be treated radically. Since it has been observed that only pharmacological treatment alone isn’t sufficient, alternative approaches have become essential. Among these approaches, nanocarriers greatly facilitate the transport of drugs since the blood-brain barrier is an important obstacle to the penetration of drugs into the brain. Photosensitizers trigger activation after exposure to near-infrared radiation light of a suitable wavelength or laser light, resulting in the selective destruction of Aβ plaques. Photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy have been investigated for their potential to inhibit Aβ plaques through photosensitizers. By ThT fluorescence measurements, TAS-loaded Ce6 micelles show inhibiting Aβ monomers from formation Aβ aggregates and degradation of protofibrills to small fragments. By using these photosensitizers, near-infrared radiation fluorescence imaging can be used as a theranostic. In this review, potential treatment options for photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy for Alzheimer's disease are summarised, and a simultaneous or combined approach is discussed, taking into account potential nanotheranostics.

The article has been withdrawn at the author's request from the website of the journal Current Neuropharmacology.
Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.
The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php
BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER:
It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.