The Effects of Extracellular ATP on Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF2)

Abstract

It was once thought that the brain lacked the ability to regenerate, and once a neuron died, it was not replaced. However, it was recently discovered in the central nervous system that the olfactory epithelium, hippocampus, and the subventricular zone have the ability to undergo neurogenesis throughout adulthood. The signals and mechanisms that are involved in neurogenesis are not known. One way to induce neuronal generation is through neurotrophic factors like FGF2, a growth factor that stimulates cell proliferation required for neurogenesis. ATP, via purinergic receptor activation, has been shown to induce the synthesis and release of neurotrophic factors in the central nervous system. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that extracellular ATP stimulates the release of neurotrophic factor FGF2, as researching these signals and mechanisms may lead to the treatment of damaged neurons and successful neuroregeneration.