GPR37 and Related Receptors: Disease Regulation

Dear Colleagues, 

The vertebrate G protein-coupled receptors 37 and 37-like 1 (GPR37 and GPR37L1) are distinctively expressed in neuronal glia, and recent studies have also reported their specific expression in peripheral tissues. Both receptors were discovered more than two decades ago, but their physiological functions are still actively investigated. They have been implicated in various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in inflammatory pain and tumorigenesis.

Their specific interaction with prosaposin and derived cytoprotective ligands has been actively debated. Recent evidence has shown that prosaptide stimulation of GPR37 and GPR37L1 is in fact dependent on cellular context, being readily detectable in astrocyte and other primary cell samples, but more difficult to observe in heterologous cells over-expressing the receptors. Meanwhile, the bioactive lipid neuroprotectin D1 has also been indicated as a specific ligand for GPR37. The study of null mutant murine models is also contributing to the elucidation of the receptors’ functions, showing that GPR37 is involved in regulating oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination, while GPR37L1 takes part in modulating the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal and glial cells in the developing cerebellum.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences focuses on the various fields of advanced research on GPR37 and GPR37L1, and welcomes both original research articles and review papers that deal with the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of these GPCRs in health and disease.

Dr. Daniela Marazziti
Guest Editor

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