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Biomolecules
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Advancing Molecular Regulation in Brain Injury Research: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and...
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Advancing Molecular Regulation in Brain Injury Research: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Rehabilitation

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1027

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guanglin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Interests: metabolic syndrome; microbiome; next-generation sequencing; neurodegenerative diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pavan Thapak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurosurgery and Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA BIRC, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Interests: to understand the cellular and molecular dynamics underlying neurodegenerative disorders associated with drug discovery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Brain injury is associated with long-term neurological infirmities and remains an unsolved health calamity affecting domestic, military, and sporting environments worldwide. Brain injury involves a multifaceted cascade of events triggered by primary and secondary pathogenesis. These events include metabolic depression, excitotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, BBB leakage and others. In recent years, it has been discovered that brain injury also affects the peripheral organs’ physiology such as the liver, intestine and intestinal microbiota which further impede the recovery of injury. Despite the tremendous progress in research and evidence-based therapies, brain injury remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, understanding molecular regulation among the different brain regions and the interactions between the CNS and peripheral organs is instrumental for the treatment of brain injury.

This Special Issue aims to explore the latest research findings in the pathophysiology of brain injury, biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis, novel drug targets and translational approaches, as well as state-of-the-art reviews to drive advancements in molecular regulation of brain injury pathogenesis to facilitate the early diagnosis and clinical management of brain injury.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Understand the cellular and molecular pathological responses instrumental to brain injury.
  2. Identify novel biomarkers and imaging techniques for diagnosis and prognosis to brain injury.
  3. Discover therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of brain injury.
  4. Develop strategies of rehabilitation for the recovery of patients.

Dr. Guanglin Zhang
Dr. Pavan Thapak
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. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • brain injury
  • biomarkers
  • neurodegeneration
  • neuroplasticity
  • neuroimaging
  • microbial dysbiosis
  • gut–brain axis
  • cognitive rehabilitation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

35 pages, 45078 KiB  
Article
Progressive Alcohol-Related Brain Atrophy and White Matter Pathology Are Linked to Long-Term Inhibitory Effects on mTOR Signaling
by Ming Tong, Camilla Homans, William Pelit, Busra Delikkaya and Suzanne M. de la Monte
Biomolecules 2025, 15(3), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15030413 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 727
Abstract
Background: Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) causes cognitive-behavioral impairments that can lead to dementia. White matter is a major target in ARBD. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of ARBD progression to advanced stages with permanent disability. Potential contributing factors include [...] Read more.
Background: Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) causes cognitive-behavioral impairments that can lead to dementia. White matter is a major target in ARBD. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of ARBD progression to advanced stages with permanent disability. Potential contributing factors include neuroinflammation and altered signaling through pathways that regulate cell survival, neuronal plasticity, myelin maintenance, and energy metabolism. Objectives: This study characterizes the time course-related effects of chronic heavy ethanol feeding on white matter myelin protein expression, neuroinflammation, and molecules that mediate signaling through the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Methods: Adult Long Evans rats (8–12/group) were fed with isocaloric liquid diets containing 0% (control) or 36% ethanol. Experimental endpoints spanned from 1 day to 8 weeks. The frontal lobes were used for histopathology and molecular and biochemical analyses. Results: Chronic ethanol feeding caused significant brain atrophy that was detected within 4 weeks and sustained over the course of the study. Early exposure time points, i.e., 2 weeks or less, were associated with global increases in the expression of non-myelinating, myelinating, and astrocyte markers, whereas at 6 or 8 weeks, white matter oligodendrocyte/myelin/glial protein expression was reduced. These effects were not associated with shifts in neuroinflammatory markers. Instead, the early stages of ARBD were accompanied by increases in several mTOR proteins and phosphoproteins, while later phases were marked by inhibition of downstream mTOR signaling through P70S6K. Conclusions: Short-term versus long-term ethanol exposures differentially altered white matter glial protein expression and signaling through mTOR’s downstream mediators that have known roles in myelin maintenance. These findings suggest that strategic targeting of mTOR signaling dysregulation may be critical for maintaining the functional integrity of white matter and ultimately preventing long-term ARBD-related cognitive impairment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Molecular Regulation in Brain Injury Research: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Rehabilitation)
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