Ion Channel Involvement in Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Many neurological/neuromuscular disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, age-related disorders, and several rare diseases are caused by malfunctioning ion channels. Ion channels play a crucial role in various tissues in the process of cellular homeostasis and in the onset of membrane potential, modulating crucial intracellular signaling pathways involved in muscle contraction, cell proliferation, differentiation, neuronal activity, and apoptosis. Gene mutations can lead to an increase (gain of function) or decrease (loss of function) in the function of these channels or to the production of an altered protein, thereby inducing the symptoms of disease.  Therefore, it is crucial that we identify the molecular mechanisms underlying neurological/neuromuscular disorders, focusing on ion channels and proposing their potential use as pharmacological targets for the development of appropriate and personalized therapies.

In this Special Issue of Cells, we invite you to contribute original research articles and reviews concerning various aspects of “Ion channel involvement in neurological and neuromuscular disorders”. Furthermore, we hope that interested researchers will share their valuable findings on the role of ion channels as a therapeutic target in these complex and heterogeneous disorders.

Dr. Elena Conte
Dr. Concetta Altamura
Guest Editors

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• ion channels
• neurological diseases
• neuromuscular diseases
• personalized therapy