Nervous System Diseases: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurobiology and Clinical Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 4903

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), 7500 Cambridge Street, Suite 5456, Houston, TX 77054, USA
2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, 217 E. Douglas Ave, Room 437, Wichita, KS 67202, USA
Interests: oral microbiome; Parkinson’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; medical education

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, 217 E. Douglas Ave, Room 437, Wichita, KS 67202, USA
Interests: oral microbiome; Parkinson’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; medical education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nervous system diseases include a wide range of debilitating conditions, such as neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), neuroinflammatory diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis), and neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism and epilepsy). Despite decades of research, effective treatments remain elusive for many of these conditions, largely due to the complexity and multifactorial nature of their pathophysiology.

Recent advances in molecular biology, omics technologies, neuroimaging, and computational modeling are shedding new light on the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and revealing promising therapeutic targets. At the same time, innovative interventions, including gene therapies, stem-cell-based treatments, neuromodulation techniques, and personalized medicine approaches, are beginning to transform the landscape of nervous system therapeutics.

A central goal of this Special Issue is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among neuroscientists, clinicians, and biomedical researchers, aiming to close the gap between bench and bedside. By uniting diverse perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to accelerate progress toward effective, personalized treatments.

Dr. Natalia Rozas
Dr. Cameron Jeter
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • neuromuscular diseases
  • autoimmune diseases of the nervous system
  • brain diseases
  • neuroinflammatory diseases
  • neuromuscular diseases
  • trauma of the nervous system 

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1717 KB  
Article
Structural Proteins at Neuromuscular Junction Are Downgraded While NRG1 and Agrin Gene Expression Increases After Muscle Injury
by Jurandyr Pimentel Neto, Lara Caetano Rocha-Braga, Matheus Bertanha Fior, Paula Oliveira Camargo and Adriano Polican Ciena
Biomedicines 2025, 13(9), 2277; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13092277 - 16 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the area where peripheral nerves communicate with muscle tissue. Muscle injury can occur as part of an acute degenerative process at the NMJ. This study aims to investigate the remodeling of the NMJ after a muscle injury [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the area where peripheral nerves communicate with muscle tissue. Muscle injury can occur as part of an acute degenerative process at the NMJ. This study aims to investigate the remodeling of the NMJ after a muscle injury in an experimental model. Methods: We used sixty male Wistar rats divided into five groups: a control group (C) and four muscle injury groups (MI) at different time points: 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 7 d after injury. We subjected the right hind limb to muscle injury and dissected the gastrocnemius muscles for analysis. We employed light microscopy to examine cell nuclei and the connective tissue, immunostaining to identify and measure the pre- and postsynaptic regions as well as calcium channels (P/Q), and real-time PCR to assess the gene expression of NRG1 and Agrin. Results: Our findings revealed an accumulation of nuclei and connective tissue in the acute injury groups (0 to 48 h). The morpho-quantitative analyses showed that the presynaptic structures and calcium channels underwent similar remodeling due to their morpho-functional relationship. Meanwhile, the postsynaptic receptors were significantly affected by the degenerative and inflammatory processes. These results can be linked to increased expression of NRG1 and Agrin in the acute injury groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, the synaptic regions displayed substantial adaptations within the first 48 h, with the presynaptic region recovering rapidly and the postsynaptic region recovering slowly. This relationship suggests that significant increases in Agrin and NRG1 play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of these structures. Full article
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Review

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30 pages, 2595 KB  
Review
Gut–Brain Axis in Mood Disorders: A Narrative Review of Neurobiological Insights and Probiotic Interventions
by Gilberto Uriel Rosas-Sánchez, León Jesús Germán-Ponciano, Abraham Puga-Olguín, Mario Eduardo Flores Soto, Angélica Yanet Nápoles Medina, José Luis Muñoz-Carillo, Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa and César Soria-Fregozo
Biomedicines 2025, 13(8), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13081831 - 26 Jul 2025
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Abstract
The gut microbiota and its interaction with the nervous system through the gut–brain axis (MGB) have been the subject of growing interest in biomedical research. It has been proposed that modulation of microbiota using probiotics could offer a promising therapeutic alternative for mood [...] Read more.
The gut microbiota and its interaction with the nervous system through the gut–brain axis (MGB) have been the subject of growing interest in biomedical research. It has been proposed that modulation of microbiota using probiotics could offer a promising therapeutic alternative for mood regulation and the treatment of anxiety and depression disorders. The findings indicate that several probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, have demonstrated anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in pre and clinical studies. These effects seem to be mediated by the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA), the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin (5-HT) and Gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), as well as the modulation of systemic inflammation. However, the lack of standardization in dosing and strain selection, in addition to the scarcity of large-scale clinical studies, limit the applicability of these findings in clinical therapy. Additional research is required to establish standardized therapeutic protocols and better understand the role of probiotics in mental health. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the relationship between the gut microbiota and the MGB axis in the context of anxiety and depression disorders, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, as well as the preclinical evidence for the effect of probiotics in modulating these disorders. In this way, an exhaustive search was carried out in scientific databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. Preclinical research evaluating the effects of different probiotic strains in animal models during chronic treatment was selected, excluding those studies that did not provide access to the full text. Full article
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Other

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11 pages, 739 KB  
Brief Report
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients Show Higher Urinary Levels of Lead and Copper: A Pilot Case-Control Study
by Ana Santurtún, Lucía Pérez-Soberón, María José Sedano and Javier Riancho
Biomedicines 2025, 13(10), 2385; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13102385 - 29 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Sporadic ALS cases, which represent over 90% of the total, result from the interaction between genetic predisposition, aging, and environmental factors. Regarding natural environmental risk factors, the analysis of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Sporadic ALS cases, which represent over 90% of the total, result from the interaction between genetic predisposition, aging, and environmental factors. Regarding natural environmental risk factors, the analysis of the role of exposure to heavy metals is of particular interest due to the well-known neurological effects of certain compounds. This study aims to compare the levels of heavy metals in urine samples in a cohort of patients with ALS who have not changed their living environment with the levels found in healthy controls (HCs). Methods: A cross-sectional case-control (14 patients with ALS vs. 28 HC) observational study was conducted in which urine samples were analyzed for five heavy metals (lead, manganese, selenium, copper, and zinc) using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: The patients with ALS showed significantly higher urine levels of lead (p < 0.001) and copper (p = 0.007) and a subtle increase in manganese concentrations (p = 0.043). Urine samples reflect recent exposures, so if the source of metals was related to the residential environment (the patients in the present study had not moved), dietary habits, or certain activities or hobbies that had not changed since diagnosis, it would be representative. Conclusions: In this pilot study, patients with ALS presented higher urinary levels of lead, manganese, and copper. Future larger studies are needed to elucidate the precise role of these heavy metals in ALS pathogenesis. Full article
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