Emerging Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Brain Cancers
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: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 371
Special Issue Editor
Interests: behavioural neuroscience; gut-brain axis; neurodegeneration; probiotics; nutritional neuroscience; food interventions; food and nutrition
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and frontotemporal degeneration, are characterized by progressive neuronal dysfunction driven by complex and multifactorial molecular mechanisms. Similarly, brain cancers, including glioma and other primary and metastatic central nervous system tumors, are driven by dysregulated cellular signaling, uncontrolled proliferation, and tumor microenvironment interactions. Recent advances in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies have significantly expanded our understanding of the underlying pathogenesis, opening new avenues for early diagnosis and targeted therapeutic interventions across both neurodegenerative and neuro-oncological disorders.
This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research focusing on protein misfolding and aggregation, including amyloid beta-, tau-, and alpha-synuclein pathology. Contributions addressing neuroinflammatory pathways, including advanced glycation end products, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired cellular bioenergetic microglial activation, inflammasome signaling, tumor-associated inflammation, and immune evasion, are encouraged. Investigations on epigenetic regulation, non-coding RNAs, and gene–environment interactions that contribute to the disease and the emerging trends from genomics, advances in CRISPR-based functional studies are also welcome. Research focusing on oncogenic mutations, signaling pathways, and metabolic reprogramming in brain tumors will be of particular interest.
In addition, this issue will emphasize synaptic dysfunction, neurotransmission abnormalities, calcium signaling, brain insulin signaling, and proteolysis mechanisms. For brain cancers, studies addressing angiogenesis, tumor invasion, metastasis to the brain, and blood–brain barrier alterations are encouraged. Contributions utilizing proteomics, metabolomics and integrative multi-omics approaches, blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker discovery, neurovascular dysfunction, and blood–brain barrier integrity on disease pathology are highly encouraged. This Special Issue seeks innovative therapeutic strategies, including small molecules, plant bioactive components, RNA-based therapies, nutraceutical interventions and artificial intelligence in unraveling disease mechanisms, targeted cancer therapies, immunotherapy, precision oncology, and drug delivery strategies across the blood–brain barrier for brain tumors.
Dr. Subramanian Thangaleela
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- neuroinflammation
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- oxidative stress
- advanced glycation end products
- brain cancers
- tumor microenvironment
- nutraceutical interventions
- plant bioactive molecules
- miRNA therapies
- oncogenic signaling pathways
- blood–brain barrier in brain cancer
- immunotherapy
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