Special Issue "Neuroglobin from Brain Protection to Cancer Progression"

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cells of the Nervous System".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberta Misasi
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Guest Editor
Dept. of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Prof. Dr. Maria Marino
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Margherita Ruoppolo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: inherited metabolic disorders; metabolomics; newborn screening; proteomics; protein-protein interaction
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a globin that is physiologically expressed in a widespread manner and in modest quantities in the brain areas and in the peripheral nervous system. Its cerebral distribution and its active role as an oxidative stress sensor and cytoprotective factor against redox imbalance lead us to consider that Ngb is part of endogenous neuroprotective pathways and elucidating a new scenario in the possibility of discovering new therapeutic approaches. In fact, the increase in Ngb levels protects neurons from oxidative stress, glutamate toxicity and apoptosis, with a clear protective effect against neurodegeneration.

However, Ngb has recently been recognized as a new tumor-associated protein, highlighting the role of this globin in regulating both the stress-induced apoptotic pathway and the antioxidant systems activated by cancer cells. Although the exact role of Ngb as a cancer promoter or tumor suppressor is still debated, some evidence of increased Ngb expression in nervous system tumors, related to the degree of malignancy, suggests a critical role for Ngb in neoplastic growth.

In recent years, efforts have been made to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of Ngb, which, however, when they occur in tumors, may confer to Ngb a critical role in tumor progression.

Dr. Roberta Misasi
Prof. Maria Marino
Prof. Margherita Ruoppolo
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 papers will be 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. Cells 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 2000 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

  • oxidative stress and antioxidant systems
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • mitochondrial dysfunction
  • neuroprotection and neurodegenerative diseases
  • apoptosis
  • autophagy
  • tumor progression in the nervous system
  • proteic signature
  • onteratomics

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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Article
Neuroglobin: A New Possible Marker of Estrogen-Responsive Breast Cancer
Cells 2021, 10(8), 1986; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10081986 - 05 Aug 2021
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Abstract
The expression of the α-subtype of Estrogen Receptor (ERα) characterizes most breast cancers (more than 75%), for which endocrine therapy is the mainstay for their treatment. However, a high percentage of ERα+ breast cancers are de novo or acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, [...] Read more.
The expression of the α-subtype of Estrogen Receptor (ERα) characterizes most breast cancers (more than 75%), for which endocrine therapy is the mainstay for their treatment. However, a high percentage of ERα+ breast cancers are de novo or acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, and the definition of new targets for improving therapeutic interventions and the prediction of treatment response is demanding. Our previous data identified the ERα/AKT/neuroglobin (NGB) pathway as a common pro-survival process activated in different ERα breast cancer cell lines. However, no in vivo association between the globin and the malignity of breast cancer has yet been done. Here, we evaluated the levels and localization of NGB in ERα+ breast ductal carcinoma tissue of different grades derived from pre-and post-menopausal patients. The results indicate a strong association between NGB accumulation, ERα, AKT activation, and the G3 grade, while no association with the menopausal state has been evidenced. Analyses of the data set (e.g., GOBO) strengthen the idea that NGB accumulation could be linked to tumor cell aggressiveness (high grade) and resistance to treatment. These data support the view that NGB accumulation, mainly related to ER expression and tumor grade, represents a compensatory process, which allows cancer cells to survive in an unfavorable environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroglobin from Brain Protection to Cancer Progression)
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Review

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Review
Role of Neuroglobin in the Neuroprotective Actions of Estradiol and Estrogenic Compounds
Cells 2021, 10(8), 1907; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10081907 - 27 Jul 2021
Viewed by 412
Abstract
Estradiol exerts neuroprotective actions that are mediated by the regulation of a variety of signaling pathways and homeostatic molecules. Among these is neuroglobin, which is upregulated by estradiol and translocated to the mitochondria to sustain neuronal and glial cell adaptation to injury. In [...] Read more.
Estradiol exerts neuroprotective actions that are mediated by the regulation of a variety of signaling pathways and homeostatic molecules. Among these is neuroglobin, which is upregulated by estradiol and translocated to the mitochondria to sustain neuronal and glial cell adaptation to injury. In this paper, we will discuss the role of neuroglobin in the neuroprotective mechanisms elicited by estradiol acting on neurons, astrocytes and microglia. We will also consider the role of neuroglobin in the neuroprotective actions of clinically relevant synthetic steroids, such as tibolone. Finally, the possible contribution of the estrogenic regulation of neuroglobin to the generation of sex differences in brain pathology and the potential application of neuroglobin as therapy against neurological diseases will be examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroglobin from Brain Protection to Cancer Progression)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Title: Neuroglobin in retinal neurodegeneration: a potential target in therapeutic approaches
Authors: Virginia Solar Fernandez; Mattia di Paolo; Stefano Di Marco; Marco Fiocchetti
Affiliation: Department of Science, University Roma Tre, 00146 Rome, Italy

2. Title: Neuroglobin: a Globin in the Nervous System
Authors: Paolo Ascenzi; Giovanna De Simone; Maria Marino
Affiliation: Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, Viale Marconi 446, I-00146 Roma, Italy

3. Title: To be determined
Authors: Elisabetta Orlandini; et al.
Affiliation: Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy

4. Title: To be determined
Authors: Francesca Persichetti; et al.
Affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale and IRCAD, Novara, Italy

5. Title: To be determined
Authors: Roberta Misasi; et al.
Affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy

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