JNK3 as a Therapeutic Target for Neurodegenerative Diseases

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), in particular JNK3 the neuronal specific isoform, have been recognized as important enzymes in the pathology of diverse neurological disorders. Indeed, several efforts have been made to design drugs that inhibit JNK signaling. The success that characterized the new generation of cell permeable peptides raise the hope in the field of neurodegeneration for new therapeutic routes. However, in order to design new and more efficient therapeutical approaches careful re-examination of current knowledge is required. Scaffold proteins are key endogenous regulators of JNK signaling: they can modulate spatial and temporal activation of the JNK signaling and can thus provide the basis for the design of more specific inhibitors. This review focuses on delineating the role of scaffold proteins on the regulation of JNK signaling in neurons. Furthermore the possibility to design a new JNK3 cell permeable peptide inhibitor by targeting the beta-arrestin-JNK3 interaction is discussed.