Nuclear Organization and Nucleocytoplasmic Transport in Neuronal Development and Disease: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nuclear organization and nucleocytoplasmic transport are fundamental regulators of neuronal identity, function, and resilience. During neuronal development, precise spatial and temporal control of chromatin architecture, gene expression, and the movement of RNAs and proteins across the nuclear envelope ensures proper differentiation, maturation, and synaptic connectivity. Disruptions in these processes are increasingly recognized as central drivers of neurological diseases, including neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, and age-related cognitive decline. Mutations affecting nuclear pore complex components, nuclear lamina integrity, RNA export factors, and transport receptors can alter neuronal homeostasis, impair stress responses, and promote pathogenic protein aggregation. Recent advances in imaging, single-cell genomics, structural biology, and stem-cell–derived neuronal models have accelerated our understanding of how nuclear dysfunction contributes to disease mechanisms. At the same time, these insights are opening new translational avenues, ranging from small-molecule modulators of nucleocytoplasmic transport and gene-regulatory pathways to RNA-based therapeutics, genome-editing strategies, and approaches to restore nuclear integrity.
This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality original manuscripts and reviews exploring fundamental mechanisms, innovative models, and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting nuclear organization and transport in the nervous system, to bridge molecular insights to clinical applications and develop interventions for currently intractable neurological disorders.
Dr. Masood Sepehrimanesh
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- nuclear organization
- nucleocytoplasmic transport
- neuronal development
- neurodegeneration
- nuclear pore complex (NPC)
- nuclear lamina
- RNA trafficking
- chromatin regulation
- therapeutic targeting
- neurodevelopmental disorders
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