Construction of a recombiant adenoviral virus harbouring the cDNA of the enzyme aromatase:a novel tool for the study of aromatase function in the brain

BELLINI MJ; GOYA RG; GARCIA-SEGURA LM

London

Congreso; 5th Int Meeting on Steroids and Neurvous system; 2011

British Endocrine Society

The remarkable potential for vector-mediated delivery of therapeutic genes to treat neurodegenerative diseases and injuries to the CNS is well recognized [1-4]. Aromatase, the enzyme that synthesises estrogens from androgen precursors, is expressed in the brain, where it has been classically associated with the regulation of neuroendocrine events and behaviours linked with reproduction. Recent findings, however, have revealed new unexpected roles for brain aromatase, indicating that the enzyme regulates synaptic activity, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis and the response of neural tissue to injury, and may contribute to control nonreproductive behaviours, mood and cognition. Therefore, the function of brain aromatase is not restricted to the regulation of reproduction as previously thought. In this context the overall goal of the present work is to implement aromatase gene therapy in the nervous system. AIM: The aim of our study was to develop an effective gene delivery system for aromatase enzyme.