PPARα as Potential Therapeutic Target for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear receptors super family and are ligand-activated transcription factors. They are involved in the regulation of metabolic pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, lipid disorder, hypertension and diabetes [1]. PPARs exist as three subtypes commonly designated as PPARα, PPARΥ, and PPARβ/δ. All PPAR isoforms, once within the nucleus, heterodimerize with retinoid X-receptor (RXR) and bind to specific DNA-response elements in the promoter of target genes. When a ligand binds to PPARs, there is a conformational change in the receptor that causes the removal of co-repressors and the recruitment of co-activators; this causes chromatin remodeling which allows the initiation of DNA transcription [2].