Natural and Synthetic Compounds in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

The nervous system is susceptible to many diseases and disorders, such as stroke, trauma, ischemia, schizophrenia, mood disorders, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.

The cellular mechanisms that regulate the occurrence of most of these conditions include calcium influx/calcium overload, excitatory amino acid release, oxidative stress, inflammation, and glial dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism of neuronal death is still not fully understood, and there are no effective therapies for most of these neurological disorders. Mostly, the research is focused on seeking new compounds able to slow down disease progression and/or to restore nervous system homeostasis.

Natural compounds, covering both endogenous and exogenous molecules, have emerged as new pharmaceuticals in the management of many neurological conditions, including cancer and aging, presenting heterogeneous chemical structure and varied pharmacological activity, useful in the treatment of high-complexity diseases. They also serve as inspiration for the synthesis of novel compounds with neuroprotective potential.

The purpose of this Special Issue, “Natural and Synthetic Compounds in Neurodegenerative Disorders”, is to explore the potential therapeutic role of many compounds in the management of pathological conditions in the nervous system and discuss the role of both natural and synthetic molecules in the development of psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and trauma. We invite authors to submit original research and review articles related to any of these aspects.

Dr. Viviana di Giacomo
Dr. Massimo Micaroni
Dr. Sergio Oddi
Guest Editors

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