Roles and therapeutic prospects of the laminin family in disorders of the nervous system

BACKGROUND: Neurological disorders comprise a heterogeneous spectrum-including cerebrovascular disease, neurodegeneration, autoimmune demyelination, neuropsychiatric conditions, and trauma-whose incidence and prevalence are rising with population aging, creating sustained healthcare and socioeconomic burdens. Recent work highlights laminin, a major non-collagenous BM glycoprotein, as a key regulator of central nervous system structure and function. As a core extracellular matrix scaffold and signaling hub, laminin orchestrates matrix remodeling, barrier disruption/repair, neuroinflammation, and neuronal plasticity; it contributes to neurodevelopment and axon guidance, synaptogenesis and plasticity, myelination and nodal microarchitecture, and the homeostasis of the blood-brain barrier and neurovascular unit. METHODS: Based on a comprehensive literature review, this article systematically elaborates the structure and classification of laminin, its spatiotemporal distribution and physiological roles in the central nervous system, as well as the molecular mechanisms and network effects in neurological diseases. Furthermore, it evaluates the feasibility and challenges of laminin-targeted therapies, aiming to provide insights for the development of innovative precision interventions. CONCLUSION: This review systematically demonstrates that the laminin family functions not merely as a "structural hub of the basement membrane," but also holds substantial promise as an "actionable target" for neurological disorders. Through a parallel receptor network comprising integrins, α-dystroglycan, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans/syndecans, laminin couples mechanical support with signal transduction, occupying a central position in the development, homeostatic maintenance, and repair of the blood-brain barrier/neurovascular unit, synaptic architecture, and the myelin-Nodes of Ranvier microstructure. Future investigations should elucidate the profound mechanistic roles of laminin family members in neurological diseases and advance targeted therapeutic development, thereby facilitating novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders.