Vasoactive intestinal peptide: a novel neurotrophic factor

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino acid neuropeptide with potent growth-related actions on dissociated neural cells. In recent years its role in brain development was been elucidated: VIP has been shown to be a regulator of early neurodevelopment and embryonic growth, a stimulator of neocortical astrocytogenesis and a neuroprotective molecule against excitotoxic and other neurotoxic substances. Thus VIP appears as a fundamental regulator of brain growth and development, and a potent neuroprotective agent possibly involved in pathological processes such as microcephalies and some neurological impairments observed in very premature babies. Similarly, VIP and VIP derivatives could represent a new avenue in the search of therapeutics for excitotoxic lesions of the developing brain. (C) 1998, Elsevier, Paris.