Invited critical review Drebrin and cognitive impairment Lina Ma a , Yun Li a, ⁎, Rong Wang b, ⁎⁎ a Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China b Department of Central Laboratory, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China abstract article info Article history: Received 17 February 2015 Received in revised form 14 June 2015 Accepted 19 June 2015 Available online 26 June 2015 Keywords: Drebrin Dendritic spine Synapse Plasticity Cognition function The kinetics of cytoskeletal networks, with actin as a key factor, play a key role in regulating the morphology and function of dendritic spines. Drebrin is a neuron growth and brain development-related actin-binding protein and is present in 70% of the dendritic spines of excitatory synapses. It regulates the development and formation of dendritic spines and well-developed dendritic spines pave the way for presynaptic elements. Well-developed and mature synapses are prerequisite for maintaining nervous system physiology. Abnormal morphology of dendritic spines and loss of synapses are seen in many neurologic diseases associated with cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms governing these pathologic changes and their correlation with drebrin remain unclear. Exploring the relationship between drebrin and cognitive function may provide insight into the early prevention of cognitive impairment and in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. © 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. Contents 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 2. Sources and activities of drebrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3. Drebrin and cognitive dysfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3.1. Studies conducted in AD patients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3.2. Animal model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3.3. Cellular and molecular levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 4. Mechanisms governing the effects of drebrin on cognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 4.1. Effect of drebrin on the formation of dendritic spines and synapses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 4.2. Effect of drebrin on the remodeling of dendritic spines and synapses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 4.3. Drebrin-regulating molecules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 5. Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Conflict of interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 1. Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, marked by insidious onset and slow progression. Its main clin- ical manifestations include mental changes such as progressive memory impairment, cognitive dysfunction, personality changes, and behavioral disorders, which can seriously lower the quality of life in elderly individ- uals [1]. Loss of synapses has been found in the brains of AD patients, and the loss of synapses was closely correlated with the severity of de- mentia [2]. Further studies have demonstrated changes in nervous tis- sues in the early stage of cognitive dysfunction and that development regulation brain protein (drebrin), a developmentally regulated brain protein, plays key roles in regulating the morphology and remodeling of dendritic spines and synapses [3]. While research has shown that the loss of synapses is related to drebrin, the specific mechanisms governing the pathological changes of synapses in the brains of AD Clinica Chimica Acta 451 (2015) 121–124 ⁎ Correspondence to: Y. Li, Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, #45 Changchun Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. ⁎⁎ Correspondence to: R. Wang, Department of Central Laboratory, XuanWu Hospital, Capital Medical University, #45 Changchun Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. E-mail addresses: liy_xw@sina.com (Y. Li), rong_wang72@aliyun.com (R. Wang). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2015.06.021 0009-8981/© 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Clinica Chimica Acta journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/clinchim