Role of Alpha-Synuclein in Neurodegenerative Diseases
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Aging".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 46
Special Issue Editor
Interests: toll like receptors in neurodegenerations; toll like receptor 4 in Parkinson’s disease; neuroinflammation; alpha synuclein accumulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The proteostasis network ensures the delicate balance among protein synthesis, folding, and degradation. It encompasses mechanisms such as the ubiquitin–proteasome system, autophagy, molecular chaperones, and heat shock proteins. Collectively, these pathways regulate both the quantity and quality of cellular proteins and facilitate their removal when necessary.
Disruptions in proteostasis have been linked to the development of synucleinopathies, a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates within neurons and various non-neuronal cells, including microglia, pericytes, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The precise mechanisms underlying αSyn misfolding remain inadequately understood, though it is believed to result from a combination of environmental exposures and genetic predispositions.
This Special Issue aims to offer a comprehensive overview of synucleinopathies, encompassing the molecular mechanisms that govern synuclein dysfunction, including b- and g-synuclein. Special emphasis will be placed on inflammatory pathways, authophagy dysfunctions, and synuclein spreading along with new sensitive assays to detect very low levels of abnormal structured protofibrils in various biological fluids facilitating early diagnosis even before clinical symptoms emerge.
Dr. Carmela Conte
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-synuclein
- synucleinopathies
- neurodegeneration
- neuroinflammation
- authophagy
- Parkinson's disease
- non-motor symptoms
- Alzheimer's disease
- multiple system atrophy
- psychiatric diseases
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