**Conflict of interest**

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

*Neuroprotection: The Way of Anti-Inflammatory Agents DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90509*

*Neuroprotection - New Approaches and Prospects*

**5. Conclusion**

main neurological ailments.

**Acknowledgements**

**Conflict of interest**

Also based on this axis, sitagliptin, a molecule used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes since the discovery of incretin effect, has shown a great anti-inflammatory capacity. This anti-inflammatory activity of sitagliptin is linked to the inhibition of synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokine and a raise in anti-inflammatory cytokine synthesis [40]. This property has been exploited in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in mouse models, and the results were conclusive [40]. In humans, the administration of sitagliptin was associated with an amelioration of the minimental state examination (MMSE) score used to evaluate dementia [40]. All these axes remain focused on more or less advanced stages of inflammation. For this reason, they carry the risk of possibly altering the beneficial effects of inflammation. Thus, to reduce this intrinsic risk, it seems necessary to develop more specific methods to modulate the inflammation. One method could be the inhibition of inflammasomes. However, because of the lack or incomplete knowledge on inflammasome structure and activation, this approach remains difficult. Nevertheless, the inhibition of NLRP3, the most studied inflammasome, has been subjected to several studies in psychiatric disorders [41]. A specific inhibitor of NLRP3 has been devel-

oped which lays the foundation for further exploration of this axis [42].

Neuroprotection is both a topical problem and a realistic dream for the researchers and clinicians. By this analysis, the immune system no more seems to only be a tool useful in the protection against endogenous and exogenous offenders. As a matter of fact, its role could be understood as defense against all sorts of disorders, including infectious, metabolic, degenerative, etc. and even aging. Indeed, the role of the immune system and inflammation in disease-associated neurotoxicity is more and more highlighted in present literature. This evidence justifies the outbreak of an inflammatory approach to develop a neuroprotection strategy in the fight against neurotoxicity. All this evidence does not only provide hope for the future development of neuroprotective strategies, but also invite us to reflect on the possibility that failure of the immune system may be implicated as primary cause of any human pathology. In experimental research, this is in the process of being demonstrated for neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Even though clinically the results of the researches are not yet irrevocable, the inflammatory pathway in neuroprotection remains a good approach in the fight against these

We wish to give thanks to Tchinda Fomekong Gérald, a resident of internal medicine, e-mail: fomekonggt@gmail.com, for all his support in the redaction of this chapter; Nana Rudy Arnaud, a resident of internal medicine, faculty of medicine and biomedical sciences University of Yaoundé 1, e-mail: arnaud.nana@yahoo. com; and Fombong T. Fombong, a resident of gynecology and obstetrics, faculty of medicine and biomedical sciences University of Yaoundé 1, e-mail: tfombongjnr@

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

**330**

gmail.com.
