NGF and therapeutic prospective: what have we learned from the NGF transgenic models?

It has been shown that topical nerve growth factor (NGF) administration induces healing action on human cutaneous, corneal and pressure ulcers, glaucoma, maculopathy and retinitis pigmentosa suggesting a therapeutic potential of NGF in human ophthalmology and cutaneous ulcers. A similar therapeutic suggestion has emerged for the NGF gene therapy of Alzheimer's disease and ischemic heart injury. Moreover, over the last few years, the role and biological properties of NGF have also been investigated with transgenic mice over-expressing and down-expressing NGF. However, the results obtained with these transgenic mice seem suitable to confirm and/or support the evidence obtained with exogenous administration of NGF regarding the suggested clinical potentiality of NGF. The aim of the present brief review is to report and comment on these two different findings of NGF's healing properties.