The brain as a target for development of new class of drugs for the treatment of somatic diseases

Usually, drugs are designed to modulate at cellular level the activity of peripheral tissues and organs affected by pathological processes. Despite unprecedented investment, the number of newly developed drugs remains low. Therefore, potent new drugs that directly influence and restore activity of peripheral tissues and organs altered by somatic diseases are being released into clinical use at the same rate as seen in the past. The brain has long been known to regulate the function of all tissues and organs in the body. This regulatory influence has also been shown to play an important role during pathological conditions, when the brain triggers protective and adaptive reactions modulating the development and progression of somatic diseases affecting peripheral tissues and organs. Importantly, several drugs recently used for the treatment of somatic diseases (e.g., beta-blockers, sartans, statins) also act at the level of the CNS, where they modulate the protective and adaptive reactions of the brain. Pharmacological modulation of brain structures activities may represent the basis for a new approach towards the treatment of various somatic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases). Therefore, brain-targeted therapy of somatic diseases may significantly extend the area for development of new drugs.