Gangliosides are
glycosphingolipids localized to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of vertebrate cells. The highest
ganglioside concentration of any organ is found in the mammalian brain, where the
gangliosides are enriched in the neuronal membrane, particularly in the synapses. There are four major brain
gangliosides with the same neutral tetrasaccharide core to which one to three
sialic acids are linked--the simplest being the GM1-ganglioside. These
gangliosides have been shown to have neuritogenic and neuronotrophic activity and to facilitate repair of neuronal tissue after mechanical, biochemical or toxic
injuries. Mixtures of native bovine brain
gangliosides were adopted for pharmacological use in the treatment of peripheral nerve damage, and GM1-ganglioside has been applied for the treatment of CNS
injuries and diseases. Beneficial effects of GM1 have been documented in the treatment of
stroke and
spinal cord injuries, particularly when the treatment has been initiated within a few hours of the acute event. Continuous
intraventricular infusion of GM1 has recently been shown to have a significant beneficial effect in
Alzheimer disease of early onset (AD Type I).