Cerebrolysin Peptide (CNTF, NGF, BDNF) is a novel neurotropic and neuroprotective agent. It has shown to improve cognition, reduce synapse damage and lower amyloid deposition (a key driving cause in Alzheimer’s Disease) by multiple mechanisms.
It has a unique ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) in sufficient concentrations to produce pharmacodynamic effects in the brain and spinal cord. It has been used in many European and Asian countries to treat a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease.
In addition to its pharmacodynamic and neuroprotective properties, cerebrolysin has the added benefit of helping patients with mild and severe traumatic brain injury recover faster. A phase IV trial comparing the addition of Cerebrolysin to a standard motor rehabilitation regimen showed that patients who received the combination had better outcomes at 6 months post-injury than patients in a control group.
We also examined the effects of cerebrolysin on neuronal death in a pilocarpine-induced seizure animal model. We found that, in comparison to controls, cerebrolysin significantly decreased the number of dying neurons and microglia after a seizure.
Furthermore, cerebrolysin significantly increased the production of BDNF in the hippocampus, which is known to have neuroprotective effects after TBI and ischemia. Moreover, it also significantly reduced amyloid plaque load in the neocortex and hippocampal regions of the mice. These effects were sustained up to 3 months after the end of treatment, suggesting that cerebrolysin has beneficial effects independently of amyloid-b toxicity.