Chapter 24: Experimental models to study the kynurenine pathway

Abstract

The kynurenine pathway is the major pathway that degrades tryptophan that has not been incorporated into proteins. The metabolites that make up the pathway have roles in a broad range of disease states spanning from neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, to infections to cancer. The studying of this pathway is crucial to further our understanding of the many diseases it is incorporated in and furthermore presents the opportunity to discover novel therapeutics. In this chapter, we hope to shed light on the transgenic animal models available (Ido1, Ido2, Tdo2, Kmo, and KatII) and the diseases they have currently been used to study, as well as give a glance at some of the inhibitors available.