Title:Tryptophan Catabolites and Their Impact on Multiple Sclerosis Progression
Volume: 22
Issue: 8
Author(s): Jens O. Watzlawik, Bharath Wootla and Moses Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Demyelination, microglia, macrophages, kynurenine pathway, quinolinic acid, kynurenic acid.
Abstract: Accumulating evidence demonstrates involvement of tryptophan metabolites and in particular activation
of the kynurenine pathway (KP) in neurocognitive disorders under CNS inflammatory conditions. The KP is involved
in several brain-associated disorders including Parkinson’s disease, AIDS dementia, Alzheimer’s disease,
Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, schizophrenia, and brain tumors. Our review is an attempt to
address any relevant association between dysregulation of KP and multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory CNS
disorder that ultimately leads to demyelinated brain areas and severe neurological deficits. Modulation of KP is a
new topic for the field of MS and warrants further research. The availability of potential KP modulators approved
for MS may shed some light into the therapeutic potential of KP antagonists for the treatment of MS patients.
