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Pathophysiology and Novel Therapeutic Strategies of Neurological Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 1361

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
2. Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurogenetics; neurological diseases; neurodegeneration; clinical neurophysiology; neuromuscular disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurological disorders are a leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the coming years, we expect an increase in the number of deaths and people with disabilities due to neurological diseases, as a result of population growth and ageing. Despite dramatic improvements in the diagnosis of common and rare disorders, especially for the spread of omics technologies, significant results have not been obtained with regard to the associated pathogenetic mechanisms and the identification of effective treatments. Translational research in neuroscience can bridge this gap by transferring knowledge gained through basic science into therapeutic interventions. Indeed, a 'bench-to-bedside' approach, based on the application in clinical practice of the results obtained from the investigation of pathogenetic mechanisms using different disease models, has profoundly changed the therapeutic scenario of neurological diseases in recent years. Some examples in this regard are represented by spinal muscular atrophy, hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, or myasthenia gravis. At the same time, an accurate pathophysiological characterization of hereditary and acquired neurological disorders can define new therapeutic perspectives.

For this Special Issue titled “Pathophysiology and Novel Therapeutic Strategies of Neurological Diseases”, we are looking for original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying common and rare neurological diseases and on innovative therapeutic approaches to these disorders.

Dr. Guido Primiano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • neurological disorders
  • neurogenetic diseases
  • pathophysiological mechanisms
  • mitochondrial diseases
  • spinal muscular atrophy
  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • treatment
  • therapeutics

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 7200 KiB  
Article
Small Molecules Temporarily Induce Neuronal Features in Adult Canine Dermal Fibroblasts
by Kiyotaka Arai, Fumiyo Saito, Masashi Miyazaki, Haruto Kushige, Yayoi Izu, Noritaka Maeta and Kazuaki Yamazoe
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15804; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115804 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 970
Abstract
Several methods have been developed to generate neurons from other cell types for performing regeneration therapy and in vitro studies of central nerve disease. Small molecules (SMs) can efficiently induce neuronal features in human and rodent fibroblasts without transgenes. Although canines have been [...] Read more.
Several methods have been developed to generate neurons from other cell types for performing regeneration therapy and in vitro studies of central nerve disease. Small molecules (SMs) can efficiently induce neuronal features in human and rodent fibroblasts without transgenes. Although canines have been used as a spontaneous disease model of human central nerve, efficient neuronal reprogramming method of canine cells have not been well established. We aimed to induce neuronal features in adult canine dermal fibroblasts (ACDFs) by SMs and assess the permanency of these changes. ACDFs treated with eight SMs developed a round-shaped cell body with branching processes and expressed neuronal proteins, including βIII-tubulin, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), and neurofilament-medium. Transcriptome profiling revealed the upregulation of neuron-related genes, such as SNAP25 and GRIA4, and downregulation of fibroblast-related genes, such as COL12A1 and CCN5. Calcium fluorescent imaging demonstrated an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration upon stimulation with glutamate and KCl. Although neuronal features were induced similarly in basement membrane extract droplet culture, they diminished after culturing without SMs or in vivo transplantation into an injured spinal cord. In conclusion, SMs temporarily induce neuronal features in ACDFs. However, the analysis of bottlenecks in the neuronal induction is crucial for optimizing the process. Full article
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