The Twofold Role of Osteogenic Small Molecules in Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics: Crosstalk of Osteogenesis and Neurogenesis

Figure 2

A schematic representation of the crosstalk between dopaminergic neurons and osteoblasts induced by small molecules involved in the Smad signaling pathway is shown. (a) This picture highlights the effect of Smad1/3/5 mimicking small molecules in neurogenesis and apoptosis inhibition. Induction of Smad 1/5 triggers a cascade that leads to the interaction of Smad4 as a co-Smad with p-Smad 1/5 and translocation of the complex into the nucleus and neurites. Small molecules mimicking Smad 3 resulted in the formation of the Smad4-p-Smad3 complex and its translocation into the nucleus and inhibition of neural apoptosis. (b) This picture highlights the effect of Smad1/3/5 mimicking small molecules in osteogenesis and apoptosis inhibition. The previously mentioned cascade in dopaminergic neurons occurs in osteoblasts. Smad1/5 mimicking small molecules triggers the cascade that leads to osteogenesis, while Smad3 mimicking small molecules triggers the cascade that leads to apoptosis inhibition in osteoblasts.