Regulating peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α): A potential role in neurological disorder and treatment

Abstract

Neurological disorders are catastrophic and challenging conditions that affect central nervous system. They constitute a major health problem worldwide and place a huge economic burden on society and individuals. Extensive evidence has shown that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α) is an essential macromolecule that could be targeted to ameliorate the pathology of neurological disorders. This review is the first to summarize studies that have used therapeutics targeted to influence PGC-1α transcription and/or protein abundance/stability to treat neurological diseases. Moreover, the therapeutic target role of PGC-1α has been clarified in neurological disorders from the potential therapeutic agent that targets PGC-1α, for example, chemical agents, proteins and peptides, nucleic acids, and natural extracts. The scientific evidence summarized in this review demonstrates that targeting PGC-1α is an effective strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders. Moreover, PGC-1α could be used as a target to screen or discover new safe and effective natural products, chemical compounds, nucleic acids, or proteins for treating neurological disorders. This review provides new insights that targeting PGC-1α is an efficient strategy for the therapy of neurological disorders and providing key protein target for developing and screening new, safe, and effective PGC-1α agonists against neurological disorders.