Review paper
Neurotrofiny i funkcje poznawcze w stwardnieniu rozsianym

Neurotrophins regulate neuronal survival and differentiation, and facilitate synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS). Although neurons are the major source of neurotrophic factors, they are also expressed within the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fraction of the immunological system. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), causing cognitive impairment in approximately half of the patients. In MS additional neurotrophic support from PBMCs might compensate the relative neurotrophin deficiency in the damaged CNS tissue that needs to be repaired. Neurotrophins, namely nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5), may exert a potentially neuroprotective role in MS-damaged CNS, influencing the structural brain atrophy rate and functional connectivity, with both these aspects contributing to cognitive performance in MS patients. So far a lot of evidence has been gathered based on animal model studies, and evidence from studying human disease is gradually emerging. The association between neurotrophins and the CNS cholinergic system has been underlined; however, the exact mechanism of neurotrophin-mediated neuroprotection is not yet fully understood. Neurotrophins have been considered as potential novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, especially those with cognitive involvement. The aim of this review is to present the role of neurotrophins in the context of MS-related cognitive impairment.