Neuropeptides Involved in Pain Control
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2019) | Viewed by 6678
Special Issue Editors
Interests: opioid peptides; cannabinoids; amino acids; nutraceuticals; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: food; chemicals; sustainability; synthesis; peptides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neuropeptides are well-defined chemical molecules, produced and released by the central nervous system and peripheral. They are involved in the transmission, modulation, and perception of physiological, neuropathic, and inflammatory pain. The development of novel nonpeptide agonists/antagonists, molecular cloning techniques, and transgenic animal models helps to define their functions in the nociceptive cascade, revealing a complex pattern of molecular mechanisms. Often, they are co-localized with neurotransmitters at the same nerve ending, blocking or enhancing their effects. For example, the calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) and neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY) are expressed and released from non-neuronal cells, acting via the same receptors as their neuronal counterparts. Peptides are endowed with a pleiotropic function, which is responsible for their plasticity under normal and experimental conditions, and redundancy, which may account for the poor performance of individual neuropeptide inhibitors in clinical trials. Accordingly, this Special Issue is focused on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel neuropeptides with the hope to replace or, at least, complement the use of opiate drugs, leading to increased efficacy and reduced adverse effects.
Prof. Adriano Mollica
Dr. Azzurra Stefanucci
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
- Neuropeptides
- Pain
- Opioid system
- Cannabinoids
- Peptide synthesis
- Peptidomimetics
- Peptide application
- Peptide cell-targeting
- Peptide design
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
