Therapeutic Implications of Blockers of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)-their Receptor (RAGE) System

Non-enzymatic modification of proteins by reducing sugars, a process that is also known as Maillard reaction, leads to the formation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) < I>in vivo < /I>. There is a growing body of evidence that formation and accumulation of AGEs progress during normal aging and at an extremely accelerated rate under diabetes, thus being involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as diabetic vascular complications and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, engagement of their receptor, RAGE, is shown to activate its down-stream signaling and subsequently evoke inflammatory responses in various types of cells. Therefore, inhibition of AGE formation or blockade of the RAGE signaling may be a promising target for therapeutic intervention in the AGE-RAGE-related devastating disorders. In this review, we discuss several types of blockers of the AGE-RAGE system and their therapeutic implications in diseases.