Ethanolamine: A Potential Promoiety with Additional Effects on the Brain: A Potential Promoiety with Additional Effects on the Brain

Ethanolamine is a bioactive molecule found in several cells, including those in the central nervous system (CNS). In the brain, ethanolamine and ethanolamine-related molecules have emerged as prodrug moieties that can promote drug movement across the blood-brain barrier. This improvement in the ability to target drugs to the brain may also mean that in the process, ethano-lamine concentrations in the brain are increased enough for ethanolamine to exert its own neurological actions. Ethanolamine and its associated products have various positive functions ranging from cell signaling to molecular storage, and alterations in their levels have been linked to neurodegener-ative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. This mini-review focuses on the effects of ethano-lamine on the CNS and highlights the possible implications of these effects for drug design.