Prognostic value and therapeutic potential of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain injuries (REVIEW)

Neurotrophins are proteins that play an important role in the nervous system functioning by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, processes of neuronal survival and death, and by participating in the mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the most well-described representatives of the neurotrophin family, which has received close attention over recent years. It is considered one of the key mediators of neuronal survival and recovery, and a drop of the BDNF level is considered a common mechanism underlying the development of various neurodegenerative diseases. The review discusses changes in BDNF levels in ischemic and traumatic brain damage, the prospects of its use in the clinical practice as a marker of brain dysfunction, as well as the possibility of its use for the treatment of post-ischemic encephalopathies. © 2019, V.A. Negovsky Research Institute of General Reanimatology. All rights reserved.