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Review
. 2006 Apr;26(4):515-21.
doi: 10.1592/phco.26.4.515.

Minocycline for short-term neuroprotection

Hazem F Elewa  1 , Hend Hilali, David C Hess, Livia S Machado, Susan C Fagan
Affiliations
Review

Minocycline for short-term neuroprotection

Hazem F Elewa et al. Pharmacotherapy. 2006 Apr.

Abstract

Minocycline is a widely used tetracycline antibiotic. For decades, it has been used to treat various gram-positive and gram-negative infections. Minocycline was recently shown to have neuroprotective properties in animal models of acute neurologic injury. As a neuroprotective agent, the drug appears more effective than other treatment options. In addition to its high penetration of the blood-brain barrier, minocycline is a safe compound commonly used to treat chronic infections. Its several mechanisms of action in neuroprotection -- antiinflammatory and antiapoptotic effects, and protease inhibition -- make it a desirable candidate as therapy for acute neurologic injury, such as ischemic stroke. Minocycline is ready for clinical trials of acute neurologic injury.

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