“…To understand how this agent suppresses or delays multiple types of degeneration in different paradigms, we initiated mechanistic studies to identify the targets of foretinib’s activity. Regarding die-back degeneration, we and others have previously described the major degenerative pathway in these neurons involving MKK kinases that activate JNK and its transcriptional target c-jun ( Kaplan and Miller, 2000 ; Culmsee and Mattson, 2005 ), the apoptotic p53 family member TAp63 ( Jacobs et al, 2005 ; Yao et al, 2010 ), and the Bax activators BimEL and Hrk ( Putcha et al, 2001 ; Towers et al, 2009 ), which in turn compromise mitochondria, culminating in cytochrome c release and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-6 and calpains ( Slee et al, 1999 ). Foretinib inhibited the expression, appearance, or activity of these proteins, all of which are necessary for neuronal death or axon degeneration.…”