Brain derived neurotrophic factor

Overview

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a secreted neurotrophin encoded by the BDNF gene and is widely recognized as a key regulator of neuronal survival, differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and activity-dependent remodeling in the central nervous system. It signals primarily through the tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) pathway, influencing downstream programs involved in learning, memory, neurite outgrowth, and resilience to injury. Because of these functions, BDNF is frequently discussed in the context of cognitive function, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurodegenerative disease.

In biomedical research, BDNF is often treated as both a mechanistic marker and a therapeutic target. Altered BDNF expression or signaling has been associated with conditions such as Alzheimer’s pathology, related dementia, diabetes-associated brain dysfunction, mild cognitive impairment, Huntington’s disease-like phenotypes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemic brain injury, and traumatic brain injury. Experimental studies commonly examine whether interventions restore BDNF levels, enhance BDNF/TrkB signaling, or rebalance proBDNF/mBDNF processing as part of broader neuroprotective effects.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent studies have explored multiple innovative strategies to harness brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a therapeutic agent for neurological disorders. Intranasal administration of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles has been developed to bypass the blood–brain barrier and enable brain-specific BDNF expression, while magnetic stimulation has been investigated as a non-invasive platform to enhance BDNF delivery and accumulation in the brain. Complementary approaches include activation of the BDNF receptor TrkB through small-molecule agonists and antibody-based activators, as well as nanoparticle-based delivery systems designed to enhance BDNF bioavailability in the central nervous system.

Across acute neurological conditions, BDNF elevation has demonstrated substantial neuroprotective effects. In traumatic brain injury, intranasal mRNA-LNP co-delivery of BDNF and interleukin-10 significantly reduced neuroinflammation, inhibited neuronal death, and improved cognition in a repetitive mild traumatic brain injury mouse model. In stroke, magnetic stimulation combined with BDNF significantly increased BDNF accumulation in the ipsilesional brain, reduced infarct volume, and drove robust motor recovery while preserving blood–brain barrier integrity and upregulating neurogenesis markers in peri-infarct tissue. vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction by upregulating hippocampal BDNF and p-CREB, with female mice showing potentially stronger improvements in cognitive recovery and BDNF upregulation compared to males.

BDNF deficiency has been identified as a critical factor in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. A BDNF val/met polymorphism that reduces BDNF secretion was associated with reduced survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, and BDNF haploinsufficiency in ALS mouse models led to shortened lifespan, accelerated motor dysfunction, and exacerbated motor neuron death. Importantly, activation of the TrkB receptor with an agonistic antibody effectively rescued these ALS-associated phenotypes and demonstrated superior therapeutic effects compared to riluzole, the current standard ALS medication. In Alzheimer's disease models, dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics (elevated Drp1 and reduced Mfn2) correlated with downregulation of BDNF and synaptic proteins (PSD-95, synaptophysin), contributing to cognitive decline. Additionally, reduced peripheral BDNF levels in temporomandibular disorder pain were associated with greater symptom burden in genetically identical individuals, suggesting BDNF's broader role in chronic pain pathophysiology.

BDNF pathway modulation has been pursued through diverse therapeutic approaches. lycopene delivered via engineered hydrophobic ferritin nanoparticles improved spatial learning and memory in aging mice through BDNF/TrkB-mediated modulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. TrkB partial agonism with 7,8-dihydroxyflavone reduced genotoxicity and apoptosis markers in a neuronal cell model of Friedreich's ataxia, revealing a partial neuroprotective effect. BDNF has also served as an outcome measure in cardiovascular rehabilitation studies, though sustained long-term changes in BDNF levels following a 12-week exercise intervention were not observed in chronic coronary syndrome patients at 12-month follow-up. Collectively, these findings establish BDNF pathway modulation as a cross-cutting therapeutic strategy with relevance across acute brain injury, chronic neurodegeneration, and age-related cognitive decline.

Key Publications

• NEWJun Biomedical publication details. (PubMed Database, 2026, PMID 42406171)
• NEWJul A 12-week Exercise Intervention Among Older Adults With Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Changes and Associations of Movement Behaviors and Cardiovascular Risk Factors. (European journal of sport science, 2026, PMID 42323275): "This study investigated changes in movement behaviors (MB), obesity markers, cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak), cardiometabolic risk (CMR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and whether changes in MB are associated with VO2peak, CMR, and BDNF from baseline to 9 months after a 12-week exercise intervention."
• May Nose-to-Brain Delivery of mRNA-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles Bypasses the Blood-Brain Barrier for Effective Brain Disease Therapy. (ACS nano, 2026, PMID 42157518): "Co-delivery of mRNAs encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) using INBT LNPs significantly reduced neuroinflammation, inhibited neuronal death, and improved cognition in a repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) mouse model."
• May Target delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor using magnetic stimulation in subacute stroke. (Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 2026, PMID 42140057): "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a macromolecular neurotrophin with potent neurorestorative effects after stroke, but its clinical translation has been hindered by inefficient transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB)."
• May Inflammatory, oxidative, and neurotrophic profiles in monozygotic twins discordant for pain-related TMD. (Molecular biology reports, 2026, PMID 42132960): "Significant within-pair differences were identified in IL-6, IL-6/IL-10 ratio, MDA/SOD ratio, MMP-9, TIMP-2, and BDNF levels."
• May Mechanisms of dexmedetomidine-induced cerebral protection following ischemic brain injury via the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tyrosine kinase receptor B pathway. (Neuroreport, 2026, PMID 42015734): "To investigate the protective effects of dexmedetomidine on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through the activation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling pathway."
• Apr The TRKB Agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone Alleviates DNA Damage and Apoptosis in a Neuronal Cell Model of Friedreich's Ataxia. (Molecular neurobiology, 2026, PMID 42018061): "previous studies have suggested the activation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be a promising treatment to regulate FRDA pathophysiology."
• May BDNF insufficiency exacerbates ALS progression. (Cell reports. Medicine, 2026, PMID 42013845): "In this study, we discover that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val/met mutation, which results in a decrease in BDNF secretion, reduces survival time of ALS patients in two separate cohorts."
• Apr Rational Protein Molecular Design of Hydrophobic Interior-Modified Ferritin Enables Efficient Lycopene Delivery for Ameliorating Aging-Related Cognitive Impairment. (Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2026, PMID 42009517): "...modulated oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and synaptic plasticity via BDNF/TrkB."
• Apr Multifunctional ions/drugs co-delivering nanocomposite hydrogel orchestrates neuro-osteogenic microenvironment for boosting osteoporotic osseointegration. (Journal of nanobiotechnology, 2026, PMID 41981450): "Specifically, Gel/P@SrZn-MSNs/G mainly increases NGF and BDNF expressions in BMSCs to stimulate axonal outgrowth and activation of DRG neurons."