Brain–Organ Axis and Related Neurodegeneration

Dear Colleagues,

The brain–organ axis plays a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological function in the body. Aberrations of this axis are likely to lead to disease in the specific organ and/or the brain. Among the known diseases, the microbiota–gut–brain axis supports bidirectional communication. Alterations in the axis lead to a wide range of neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric, and gastrointestinal diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and others.  For example, PD is characterized by the presence of aggregated α-synuclein in the brain. Indeed, symptoms like constipation often precede motor issues by decades, suggesting the disease may originate in the gut. Substantial evidence shows that AD is linked to the gut dysbiosis that promotes amyloid beta aggregation and plaque formation and neuroinflammation, leading to cognitive decline. Notably, a defect in autoimmunity leads to migration of the inflammatory immune cells (e.g., Th17) from the gut to the brain, causing nerve demyelination. ALS patients also have gut dysbiosis and altered bacterial metabolites during disease progression.

In this call for research and review papers, the specific topic will focus on alteration in the brain–organ axis that leads to the pathogenesis for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. We welcome articles related to, but not limited to, the following: (1) specific signaling pathways and alterations for the brain–organ axis; (2) gene-based molecular pathways in neurodegeneration; (3) promising therapeutic strategies for neurodegeneration; (4) innate immunity in neurodegeneration; (5) proteins in chronic inflammation causing neurodegeneration in the brain.

References:

1. Che H, et al. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2026;11(1):8.
2. Cui MW, et al. Int J Mol Med. 2026;57(3):53.
3. Kim Y, et al. Aging Dis. 2026 Jan 28. doi: 10.14336/AD.2025.1537.
4. Hakimjavadi R, et al. Can J Cardiol. 2025:S0828-282X(25)01592-2.

Dr. Nan-Shan Chang
Guest Editor

Dr. Hieu-Huy Nguyen-Tran
Guest Editor Assistant

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