Proline-rich polypeptides in Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative disorders - Therapeutic potential or a mirage?

The development of effective and safe drugs for a growing Alzheimer disease population is an increasing need at present. Both experimental and clinical evidence support a beneficial effect of proline-rich polypeptides in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease. Experimental data have shown that proline-rich polypeptides isolated from bovine neurohypophisis possess neuroprotective and neuromodulatory properties in mice with aluminum neurotoxicosis or neuronal damage caused by venoms and toxins. Proline-rich polypeptides from ovine colostrums, so called Colostrinin, have been shown to produce cognitive improvement in an experimental model and in patients with Alzheimer disease. However, the precise mechanism underlying the neuroprotective action of proline-rich polypeptides is not very well established. Moreover, studies pointing at a neuroprotective effect of proline-rich polypeptides from bovine neurohypophisis in humans have not been reported thus far. The authors conclude that more detailed information on the mode of action of proline-rich polypeptides is needed as well as confirmation of their efficacy in broad clinical trials before this approach can really show its potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.