Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in Inflammatory and Degenerative Brain Diseases

Cyclooxygenase (COX) catalyses the first committed step in the synthesis of prostanoids, a large family of arachidonic acid metabolites comprising prostaglandins, prostacyclin, and thromboxanes, and is a major target of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). COX exists as constitutive and inducible isoforms. COX-2 is the inducible isoform, rapidly expressed in several cell types in response to growth factors, cytokines, and pro-inflammatory molecules. Since its discovery in the early 1990s, COX-2 has emerged as a major player in inflammatory reactions in peripheral tissues. By extension, COX-2 expression in brain has been associated with pro-inflammatory activities, thought to be instrumental in…