Adenoviral expression of CREB protects neurons from apoptotic and excitotoxic stress

In this study we have used a molecular approach to manipulate CREB gene expression to study its role in the regulation of neuronal cell death. To achieve this, adenoviral (Ad) vectors encoding EGFP, CREB, and a powerful CREB dominant-negative, known as A-CREB were constructed. The over-expression of CREB but not A-CREB was found to protect primary hippocampal neurons from staurosporine-induced apoptosis, glutamate induced excitotoxicity and exposure to an in vitro ischaemic stress. Hence, manipulating CREB-regulated pathways may provide a means of delaying or preventing the neuronal cell death associated with ischaemic related injury, and in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntingtonʼs and Alzheimerʼs disease.