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Biomolecules
Special Issues
Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies
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Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 6213

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oana Cioanca

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy-Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 'Grigore T. Popa' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
Interests: pharmacokinetics of natural compounds
Prof. Dr. Lucian Hritcu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bd. Carol I, No. 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania
Interests: neurobiology; behavioral neuroscience; pharmacy; molecular biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cornelia Mircea

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universității Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Interests: pharmacy; herbs; antioxidants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the modern era of advanced technology, efficiency and artificial intelligence, new pathologies have emerged, and medical science has to keep up with discoveries and targeted therapies. Neurological disorders have many unknown mechanisms. Thus, natural molecules and novel therapeutic strategies are useful. Cell-to-cell interactions are involved in complex signaling pathways, and changes in the molecular mechanisms lead to neurological disfunctions; our aim is to provide a better understanding of the underlaying key mechanisms involved in chronical neurodegeneration and targeted strategies for neuroprotection. Therefore, this Special Issue is dedicated to the most recent research, challenges and pivotal hallmarks to mediate progress in neurodegenerative pathology research.

Dr. Oana Cioanca
Prof. Dr. Lucian Hritcu
Dr. Cornelia Mircea
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neurodegeneration
  • neuroprotection
  • novel therapies
  • natural molecules

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 11008 KiB  
Article
Corticosterone Impairs Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Behaviors through p21-Mediated ROS Accumulation
by Guanhao Wang, Lining Cao, Shuanqing Li, Meihui Zhang, Yingqi Li, Jinjin Duan, You Li, Zhangsen Hu, Jiaan Wu, Tianming Li, Ming Jiang and Jianfeng Lu
Biomolecules 2024, 14(3), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14030268 - 23 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Stress is known to induce a reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and anxiety-like behaviors. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are secreted in response to stress, and the hippocampus possesses the greatest levels of GC receptors, highlighting the potential of GCs in mediating stress-induced hippocampal alterations [...] Read more.
Stress is known to induce a reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and anxiety-like behaviors. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are secreted in response to stress, and the hippocampus possesses the greatest levels of GC receptors, highlighting the potential of GCs in mediating stress-induced hippocampal alterations and behavior deficits. Herein, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the hippocampus following corticosterone (CORT) exposure revealed the central regulatory role of the p21 (Cdkna1a) gene, which exhibited interactions with oxidative stress-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting a potential link between p21 and oxidative stress-related pathways. Remarkably, p21-overexpression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus partially recapitulated CORT-induced phenotypes, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, diminished AHN, dendritic atrophy, and the onset of anxiety-like behaviors. Significantly, inhibiting ROS exhibited a partial rescue of anxiety-like behaviors and hippocampal alterations induced by p21-overexpression, as well as those induced by CORT, underscoring the therapeutic potential of targeting ROS or p21 in the hippocampus as a promising avenue for mitigating anxiety disorders provoked by chronic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies)
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15 pages, 4928 KiB  
Article
Bacillus Calmette–Guérin Vaccine Attenuates Haloperidol-Induced TD-like Behavioral and Neurochemical Alteration in Experimental Rats
by Narhari Gangaram Yedke, Shubham Upadhayay, Randhir Singh, Sumit Jamwal, Sheikh F. Ahmad and Puneet Kumar
Biomolecules 2023, 13(11), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13111667 - 19 Nov 2023
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder that displays unusual involuntary movement along with orofacial dysfunction. It is predominantly associated with the long-term use of antipsychotic medications, particularly typical or first-generation antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and [...] Read more.
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder that displays unusual involuntary movement along with orofacial dysfunction. It is predominantly associated with the long-term use of antipsychotic medications, particularly typical or first-generation antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis are major pathophysiological mechanisms of TD. The BCG vaccine has been reported to suppress inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and exert neuroprotection via several mechanisms. Our study aimed to confirm the neuroprotective effect of the BCG vaccine against haloperidol-induced TD-like symptoms in rats. The rats were given haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 days after 1 h single administration of the BCG vaccine (2 × 107 cfu). Various behavioral parameters for orofacial dyskinesia and locomotor activity were assessed on the 14th and 21st days after haloperidol injection. On the 22nd day, all rats were euthanized, and the striatum was isolated to estimate the biochemical, apoptotic, inflammatory, and neurotransmitter levels. The administration of the BCG vaccine reversed orofacial dyskinesia and improved motor function in regard to haloperidol-induced TD-like symptoms in rats. The BCG vaccine also enhanced the levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH) and reduced prooxidants (MDA, nitrite) and pro-apoptotic markers (Cas-3, Cas-6, Cas-9) in rat brains. Besides this, BCG treatment also restored the neurotransmitter (DA, NE, 5-HT) levels and decreased the levels of HVA in the striatum. The study findings suggest that the BCG vaccine has antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and neuromodulatory properties that could be relevant in the management of TD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies)
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Review

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23 pages, 1810 KiB  
Review
Understanding the Pathophysiology of Ischemic Stroke: The Basis of Current Therapies and Opportunity for New Ones
by Maryam A. Salaudeen, Nura Bello, Rabiu N. Danraka and Maryam L. Ammani
Biomolecules 2024, 14(3), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14030305 - 04 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2688
Abstract
The majority of approved therapies for many diseases are developed to target their underlying pathophysiology. Understanding disease pathophysiology has thus proven vital to the successful development of clinically useful medications. Stroke is generally accepted as the leading cause of adult disability globally and [...] Read more.
The majority of approved therapies for many diseases are developed to target their underlying pathophysiology. Understanding disease pathophysiology has thus proven vital to the successful development of clinically useful medications. Stroke is generally accepted as the leading cause of adult disability globally and ischemic stroke accounts for the most common form of the two main stroke types. Despite its health and socioeconomic burden, there is still minimal availability of effective pharmacological therapies for its treatment. In this review, we take an in-depth look at the etiology and pathophysiology of ischemic stroke, including molecular and cellular changes. This is followed by a highlight of drugs, cellular therapies, and complementary medicines that are approved or undergoing clinical trials for the treatment and management of ischemic stroke. We also identify unexplored potential targets in stroke pathogenesis that can be exploited to increase the pool of effective anti-stroke and neuroprotective agents through de novo drug development and drug repurposing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies)
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Other

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29 pages, 966 KiB  
Systematic Review
Insights into Pharmacological Activities of Nicotine and 6-Hydroxy-L-nicotine, a Bacterial Nicotine Derivative: A Systematic Review
by Razvan Stefan Boiangiu, Ion Brinza, Iasmina Honceriu, Marius Mihasan and Lucian Hritcu
Biomolecules 2024, 14(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14010023 - 23 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1259
Abstract
The purported cognitive benefits associated with nicotine and its metabolites in the brain are a matter of debate. In this review, the impact of the pharmacologically active metabolite of a nicotine derivative produced by bacteria named 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine (6HLN) on memory, oxidative stress, and [...] Read more.
The purported cognitive benefits associated with nicotine and its metabolites in the brain are a matter of debate. In this review, the impact of the pharmacologically active metabolite of a nicotine derivative produced by bacteria named 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine (6HLN) on memory, oxidative stress, and the activity of the cholinergic system in the brain was examined. A search in the PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, limiting entries to those published between 1992 and 2023, was conducted. The search focused specifically on articles about nicotine metabolites, memory, oxidative stress, and cholinergic system activity, as well as enzymes or pathways related to nicotine degradation in bacteria. The preliminary search resulted in 696 articles, and following the application of exclusion criteria, 212 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion. This review focuses on experimental studies supporting nicotine catabolism in bacteria, and the chemical and pharmacological activities of nicotine and its metabolite 6HLN. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurological Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapy Strategies)
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