ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Emerging Insights into the Pathobiology and Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 675

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Interests: traumatic brain injury and recovery mechanisms; blood-based biomarkers of neuronal and glial injury; post-traumatic stress and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions; neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration after TBI; precision medicine approaches in neurological disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, yet our understanding of its pathobiology and long-term outcomes continues to evolve. Despite advances in imaging and clinical assessment, there is an urgent need for reliable biomarkers that can improve diagnosis, stratify injury severity, and guide targeted interventions across the acute, subacute, and chronic phases of TBI.

This Special Issue, Emerging Insights into the Pathobiology and Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), will bring together cutting-edge research and perspectives from molecular biology, neuroimmunology, neurodegeneration, and clinical sciences. We welcome contributions that explore the mechanisms underlying neuronal and glial injury, neuroinflammation, axonal degeneration, and neurovascular disruption, as well as studies that identify and validate biomarkers with translational potential for predicting outcomes, monitoring recovery, and guiding therapeutic development.

Original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that integrate genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and imaging approaches are particularly encouraged. By highlighting emerging insights, this Special Issue will accelerate the discovery of biomarkers and mechanistic pathways that can transform care for individuals with TBI.

Prof. Dr. Jessica Gill
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • blood-based biomarkers
  • neuroinflammation
  • axonal injury
  • neurodegeneration
  • precision medicine
  • omics approaches (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics)
  • translational neuroscience
  • TBI recovery and outcomes
  • neurovascular injury

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 918 KB  
Article
Association of Marshall CT Scores with GFAP, UCH-L1, Tau, NfL, and p-Tau231 After Traumatic Brain Injury
by Katie A. Edwards, John Alice, Maryn Day, Joseph Yun, Sijung Yun, Heather E. Dark, Lillian Gabor and Jessica M. Gill
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 11765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262411765 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 549
Abstract
This study identifies a significant association among blood-based biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the Marshall CT classification of TBI (MCTC) scores, but not with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. We aimed to determine whether GCS and MCTC scores relate to glial [...] Read more.
This study identifies a significant association among blood-based biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the Marshall CT classification of TBI (MCTC) scores, but not with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. We aimed to determine whether GCS and MCTC scores relate to glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), ubiquitin carboxy hydrolase-1 (UCH-L1), tau, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau231) concentrations following acute TBIs. Participants included patients from 20 trauma centers across 12 regional sites in the United States and Canada with an initial CT scan within 6 h after TBI and GCS scores of 3 to 12. Blood samples collected upon hospital arrival were analyzed for biomarker concentrations (pg/mL). Concentrations from 271 patients with GCS ≥ 9 were compared to 145 with GCS ≤ 9. Samples from 347 patients with MCTC < 3 were compared to 70 with MCTC ≥ 3. No significant differences in GCS groups were found (p’s > 0.5), while MCTC groups differed significantly (p’s < 0.001). Higher concentrations of plasma GFAP, NfL, and p-tau231 correlated with MCTC scores > 3, with no associations with GCS. Future research might show an application in individual risk assessments to improve triaging of TBI patients. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop