AccScience Publishing / AN / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/an.2184
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Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors in brain diseases

Hongying Hao1 Qiang Liu1 Han Jin2*
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1 Department of Neurology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
2 Central Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
Advanced Neurology 2024, 3(1), 2184 https://doi.org/10.36922/an.2184
Submitted: 6 November 2023 | Accepted: 10 January 2024 | Published: 8 March 2024
© 2024 by the Author (s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a non-receptor-bound intracellular signaling protein. It is well known for its importance in the growth and malignancy of B cells, but recent studies suggested that the BTK is also associated with many other innate immune cells. As reported, a comparatively high level of BTK expression can be observed in monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and even central nervous system-resident immune cells like microglia. This suggests that BTK activation occurs in various acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. Here, we discuss how BTK inhibitors might be used to treat certain conditions, concentrating on ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease. We specifically show the significance of targeting B cells in controlling the inflammatory component of the disease in multiple sclerosis treatment. In addition, we draw attention to the role of BTK in the NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which is essential for brain damage and neuroinflammation. In summary, we conclude that therapeutic targeting of BTK in brain diseases is a potential strategy that can complement the existing therapies.

Keywords
Bruton’s tyrosine kinase
Brain
Inflammation
Central nervous system
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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