Advances in Developmental Neurotoxicology

Dear Colleagues,

Humans are daily exposed to toxic substances that may affect the nervous system. The developing brain is particularly vulnerable, compared to the adult brain, to toxicants exposure, due to the complex network of events occurring during brain development (e.g., neuronal/glia differentiation, migration, maturation, synaptogenesis, blood-brain barrier immaturity). Moreover, neurodevelopmental impairment has been increasingly correlated with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), making the mechanistic understanding of how toxicants may affect the developing brain highly relevant. Notably, developmental neurotoxicity assessment remains quite challenging, as the developmental outcomes depend on the substance, type of exposure, and the brain’s developmental stage at the time of exposure. This Special Issue welcomes reviews and original research contributions on the most recent advances in developmental neurotoxicology, including, but not limited, to the following topics:

• Molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of exposure to toxicants (g., pesticides, biocides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, substances of abuse, or nanomaterials) during neurodevelopment;
• Cognitive and behavioral outcomes following exposure to toxicants during neurodevelopment;
• Identification of new biomarkers of neurodevelopmental neurotoxicity that may be used as diagnostic tools or therapeutic targets for neurodevelopmental disorders;
• New and improved models (g., in silico, in vitro, in vivo) for testing developmental neurotoxicity.

Dr. João Pedro Silva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• developmental neurotoxicology
• neurodevelopmental models
• neurotoxicants
• neurodevelopmental disorders