Grelina y autofagia: nuevas perspectivas terapéuticas en enfermedades neurodegenerativas
Ghrelin and autophagy: new therapeutic perspectives in neurodegenerative diseases
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/e-cucba.vi25.389Palabras clave:
Grelina, GHS-R1a, neuroprotección, autofagia, enfermedad de Alzheimer, enfermedad de ParkinsonResumen
La grelina es una hormona peptídica que se produce en el estómago, identificada en 1999 como una señal clave en la regulación del apetito. No obstante, estudios recientes revelan que su función va más allá del sistema endocrino, ya que participa en procesos fundamentales como la homeostasis energética, la neurogénesis, la plasticidad sináptica, la cognición y la regulación emocional. En el sistema nervioso central, la grelina atraviesa la barrera hematoencefálica y actúa sobre el receptor GHS-R1a en estructuras como el hipotálamo, el hipocampo y la corteza cerebral, donde modula tanto la ingesta alimentaria como procesos de memoria y aprendizaje. Además, promueve la autofagia a través de las vías AMPK/mTOR y el sistema ubiquitina-proteasoma, lo que favorece la eliminación de proteínas mal plegadas y el mantenimiento de la homeostasis neuronal. Estas acciones resultan especialmente relevantes la enfermedad de Alzheimer y la enfermedad de Parkinson, donde la grelina ha mostrado reducir la acumulación de β-amiloide y proteger neuronas dopaminérgicas. Su acción antioxidante, antiinflamatoria y reguladora de la ferroptosis refuerza su potencial terapéutico. En esta revisión se analizan las evidencias experimentales y preclínicas sobre el efecto neuroprotector de la grelina, enfocándose en la autofagia como una estrategia emergente en el tratamiento de estas patologías.
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Derechos de autor 2025 Mónica Ayub Ayala, Kenia Pardo Peña, Consuelo Ventura Mejía, Juan Carlos Salazar Sánchez, Laura Guadalupe Medina Ceja
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