The leprosy pathogen Mycobacterium leprae attacks Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, causing them to demyelinate. Recent work by Tapinos et al. shows that a direct mechanism of demyelination induced by M. leprae depends on the binding of the bacterium to the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2 on Schwann cells and the resulting activation of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway. These findings have relevance for the potential treatment of leprosy and they highlight parallels between the dedifferentiation signal in leprosy and that in nerve injury and cancer.
BT - Trends in pharmacological sciences C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17276519?dopt=Abstract CN - NOON 2007 DA - 2007 Mar DO - 10.1016/j.tips.2007.01.004 IS - 3 J2 - Trends Pharmacol. Sci. LA - eng N2 -The leprosy pathogen Mycobacterium leprae attacks Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, causing them to demyelinate. Recent work by Tapinos et al. shows that a direct mechanism of demyelination induced by M. leprae depends on the binding of the bacterium to the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2 on Schwann cells and the resulting activation of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway. These findings have relevance for the potential treatment of leprosy and they highlight parallels between the dedifferentiation signal in leprosy and that in nerve injury and cancer.
PY - 2007 SP - 103 EP - 5 T2 - Trends in pharmacological sciences TI - Treating leprosy: an Erb-al remedy? VL - 28 SN - 0165-6147 ER -