The Brain’s Regeneration Potential: The Role of Neural Progenitor Cells in Neuropsychiatric Therapy
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 571
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mitochondria; TSPO (the 18-kDa translocator protein); neurodegeneration; neurogenesis; melatonin; stem cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: mitochondria; TSPO (the 18-kDa translocator protein)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neural stem and progenitor cells play a crucial role in neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, processes that persist significantly even in the adult brain. These multipotent cells have the capacity to proliferate, differentiate into various nervous tissue cell types (neurons and glia), and migrate and mature into a specific adult neuronal type, with neurites and axons allowing the renewal or recovery of cerebral synaptic connections. The main neurogenic niches of the adult brain are found in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (the subgranular zone) and in the lateral ventricles (the subventricular zone). The olfactory neuroepithelium harbors neuronal progenitors capable of the continuous proliferation, differentiation, and renewal of olfactory sensory neurons. However, this regenerative capacity can be altered throughout brain aging, as well as being a consequence of various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. For this reason, ongoing research is being conducted with a focus on increasing the brain's regeneration potential, which is particularly important in recovering cognitive and/or motor function, such as after a traumatic brain injury. Moreover, brain regeneration is also particularly important in dealing with neurodegenerative diseases or neuropsychiatric conditions. There are several natural and synthetic compounds, including melatonin and psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin, that may regulate neurogenesis and neuroplasticity by acting on neural stem and progenitor cells at the cellular and molecular levels in order to improve regenerative brain potential, thus offering promising therapeutic strategies in neuropsychiatry. This Special Issue will focus on advances in the field of neural stem and progenitor cells and their therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions. IJMS is a journal of molecular science; therefore, we welcome not only pre-clinical and clinical studies but also biomolecular experimental studies.
Dr. Beatriz Caballero
Dr. Yaiza Potes
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- neural stem cells
- neural progenitor cells
- neuropsychiatric disorders
- neurodegeneration
- neurogenesis
- neuroplasticity
- melatonin
- psychoactive drugs
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