Free Download | Molecular and Cellular Biology of Neuroprotection in the CNS

This book brings together experts from cellular and molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, neuroimmunology and neurology. It is my hope that the book serves as a reference text for both basic neuroscientists and clinicians, offering a fresh look at many (certainly not all) of the highly intertwined processes that determine the fate of CNS neurons in the face of acute or chronic insults. The book is written mostly from the viewpoint of the basic scientist who works at the cellular and molecular level, but who also develops and tests new hypotheses using animal models of acute and chronic brain injury. Although many of the new findings hold promise for therapeutic interventions, their translation into clinically relevant neuroprotective strategies is still in its infancy. If this book helps to bridge this gap, it will certainly be worth the effort. The adult mammalian brain is not well equipped for self-repair. Although neuronal loss re-installs parts of the molecular machinery that is essential for neuronal development, other factors and processes actively impede regeneration of the damaged brain. Many therapeutic efforts thus aim to promote or inhibit these endogenous pathways. In addition, more radical approaches appear on the horizon, such as replacement of lost neurons with grafted tissue.