Peptide Dependent Neuromodulation of Synaptic Plasticity: Focus on IGF-1/Insulin Effects

Dear Colleagues,

It is known that neuropeptides may control neuronal activity. Specifically, the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) can be a potent stimulator of neuronal activity, participating in numerous brain processes (see for review Fernandez et al., 2018). Indeed, IGF-I increases the spontaneous firing rate as well as the response to afferent stimulation in target neurons (Barros-Zulaica et al., 2019; Carro et al., 2000; Gazit et al., 2016; Nuñez et al., 2003). Furthermore, IGF-I enhances fast activity in the EEG of rodents and non-human primates (Trueba-Saiz et al., 2013). The functional implications of these changes must be explored because modulation of the neuronal excitability by IGF-I may be involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation (LTP) or long-term depression (LTD), which are critical mechanisms for learning and memory processes. The possible beneficial effects of IGF-I in the modulation of brain activity may be altered in pathological situations in which circulating IGF-signaling is decreased, such as diabetes or Alzheimer's disease. In addition, reduced serum IGF-I levels have been described during healthy aging in all mammalian species studied that could be responsible for the decline of cognitive functions. Consequently, the modulation of synaptic plasticity by IGF-I is a very interesting issue to be address in normal and pathological conditions.

Prof. Dr. Ángel Núñez
Prof. Dr. Ignacio Torres Alemán
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.