Abstract
For the past hundred years since the discovery of vitamin A, the field of research associated with retinoids has been well evolved due to advances in molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry and medicine. Vitamin A is an essential component in diet. Major derivatives of vitamin A such as retinol, retinaldehydes and retinoic acid are collectively considered as retinoids. Deficit of Vitamin A has a direct correlation with disease development in our body emphasizing the importance of retinol. Retinoic Acid is proclaimed as powerful mitogen acting in our body since the developmental embryonic stages where it is associated with many organ systems in body carrying out different functionalities. Retinoids carry out many functions of nervous systems. This review is mainly focused on contribution of Retinoic acid towards reversing the process of neural degeneration in pathological conditions achieved by neurodegenerative diseases and tumor inducing situations. Retinoids can act on neurons carrying morphogenesis of nerves by promoting stem cell differentiation. Activation of phospholipase A2 pathway can promote neural differentiation. Also by inactivating human Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 gene, retinols can suppress stem cell proliferation and initiate morphogenesis. This gene inactivation can be also used as a therapy to prevent malignant cell proliferation leading to tumors. Anti amyloidogenic activity is discussed in this review locates a significant importance in reversing neural degenerating process in diseased conditions. Moreover, Reactive Oxygen Species accumulation can be suppressed by Retinoic Acid where it can promote cell survival during pathological constrains. The revision of literature is carried out in depth revealing Retinoic Acid related putative drug target mechanisms, where we can use Retinoic Acid as a novel therapeutic drug in neurodegenerative diseases.
Highlights
Vitamin A is known to be one of the most important components in the diet
Back in 1913, it was proclaimed that a lipid soluble molecule contained in the diet of rats encouraged their growth and was later named as Vitamin A or retinol (McCollum and Davis, 1913)
Dietary vitamin A is recognized as an essential factor for the maintenance of immunity (Ross, 2012). β carotene and vitamin A are known to act against infections and they were identified as “anti-infective agents” in late 19th century (Green and Mellanby, 1928; Green and Mellanby, 1930)
Summary
Vitamin A is known to be one of the most important components in the diet. Vitamin A and its derivatives carry out many morphological and physiological functions in animal bodies. Since 1930, developments in chemistry, cell biology and molecular biology have explored many pathways related to retinol and its precursors and scientists have successfully synthesized these compounds chemically (Isler et al, 1947) Another landmark in this area of study was the discovery of retinol binding proteins in animal tissues. Understanding cell signaling pathways and effector molecules involved in retinoids are important aspects in modern therapeutics Retinols and their derivatives are involved in each and every organ system carrying out major effector functions. Retinoid isomers inside cells are known to carry out gene activation mechanisms and transcription regulation They are involved in the production and regulation of effector molecules which carry out major functions in cell survival, pathogenic effects as well as in structural culminations (Greena et al, 2016). In this review we stress on retinoic acid induced molecular cross talking mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disease resistance and how that knowledge could be utilized to overcome neuron dysfunction by using RA as a therapeutic strategy
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