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Drug Design and Development for Dementia, Epilepsy, and Other Neurological Disorder Diseases

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 1231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
Interests: neuropharmacology; neurological disorders; stroke; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson’s disease

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Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Interests: neuropharmacology; dementia; epilepsy; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson’s disease; stroke; immunopharmacology

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Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Interests: drug target identification and validation; cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; neuropharmacology; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson’s disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dementia, epilepsy, and other neurological disorder diseases continue to pose significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. The complex nature of these diseases demands multidisciplinary efforts to discover novel therapeutic strategies that can ameliorate symptoms, slow progression, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. In this context, the search for effective drugs and interventions is of paramount importance.

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of innovative approaches in the field of drug design and development for a spectrum of neurological disorders, including dementia, epilepsy, and related conditions. We welcome contributions encompassing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

  1. Target identification and validation: Insights into novel molecular targets implicated in neurological disorders and their validation as potential drug targets.
  2. Biological screening: High-throughput screening and in vitro assays to identify compounds with potential therapeutic effects.
  3. Preclinical studies: In vivo experimentation, animal models, and pharmacokinetic studies to evaluate drug candidates' efficacy and safety profiles.
  4. Mechanistic insights: Investigations into the mechanisms of action of potential drug candidates and their impact on neurological pathways.

We invite researchers from diverse backgrounds to contribute original research articles, reviews, and short communications that provide valuable insights into the drug design and development landscape for neurological disorders. By facilitating the exchange of knowledge and innovative ideas, this Special Issue aspires to accelerate progress in this critical field of research.

Dr. Junke Song
Prof. Dr. Xiaobin Pang
Dr. Yangyang He
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • neurological disorders diseases
  • dementia
  • epilepsy
  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • target identification and validation
  • biological screening
  • preclinical studies
  • mechanistic insights

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 6216 KiB  
Article
Network Proximity Analysis Deciphers the Pharmacological Mechanism of Osthole against D-Galactose Induced Cognitive Disorder in Rats
by Xue Wang, Xiaomei Fu, Xiurong Luo, Yiyi Lai, Chuipu Cai, Yanfang Liao, Zhao Dai, Shuhuan Fang and Jiansong Fang
Molecules 2024, 29(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010021 - 19 Dec 2023
Viewed by 846
Abstract
Osthole, a natural coumarin found in various medicinal plants, has been previously reported to have neuroprotective effects. However, the specific mechanism by which Osthole alleviates dysmnesia associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective properties of Osthole [...] Read more.
Osthole, a natural coumarin found in various medicinal plants, has been previously reported to have neuroprotective effects. However, the specific mechanism by which Osthole alleviates dysmnesia associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective properties of Osthole against cognitive impairment in rats induced by D-galactose and elucidate its pharmacological mechanism. The rat model was established by subcutaneously injecting D-galactose at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day for 56 days. The effect of Osthole on cognitive impairment was evaluated by behavior and biochemical analysis. Subsequently, a combination of in silico prediction and experimental validation was performed to verify the network-based predictions, using western blot, Nissl staining, and immunofluorescence. The results demonstrate that Osthole could improve memory dysfunction induced by D-galactose in Sprague Dawley male rats. A network proximity-based approach and integrated pathways analysis highlight two key AD-related pathological processes that may be regulated by Osthole, including neuronal apoptosis, i.e., neuroinflammation. Among them, the pro-apoptotic markers (Bax), anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2), the microgliosis (Iba-1), Astro-cytosis (GFAP), and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-R1) were evaluated in both hippocampus and cortex. The results indicated that Osthole significantly ameliorated neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammation in D-galactose-induced cognitive impairment rats. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the pharmacological mechanism of Osthole in mitigating D-galactose-induced memory impairment and identifies Osthole as a potential drug candidate for AD treatment, targeting multiple signaling pathways through network proximity and integrated pathways analysis. Full article
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