Role of caspase 1 in neurologic disease.

I n recent years substantial advances have taken place in understanding the mechanistic pathways mediating neuronal cell death in a variety of neurologic diseases. Since the central nervous system (CNS) has little, if any, power of functional neuronal regeneration, prevention of neuronal cell death is an important target of modern neurotherapeutics. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms mediating neuronal cell death is required to effectively slow the progression of neurologic diseases featuring apoptosis. Increasing evidence demonstrates that blocking cell death pathways in cells otherwise fated to die (ie, following stroke, trauma, or in neurodegenerative diseases) improves neurologic outcome.