Novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of neuroimmunological and neurodegenerative disorders. Accordingly, methods of treating a neurodegenerative disorder in a patient, as well as inhibiting the release of a proinflammatory cytokine, comprising the step of contacting a target cell with a therapeutically effective amount of a cholinergic agonist, such as those chosen from the group consisting of acetycholine, nicotine, choline, galantamine, cytisine, GTS-21, or derivatives thereof, wherein the target cell is a microglia is provided.
CHOLINERGIC MODULATION OF MICROGLIAL ACTIVATION VIA ALPHA-7 NICOTINIC RECEPTORS