Molecular Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways in Neuroinflammatory Disorders
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 3194
Special Issue Editors
2 Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Interests: chronic inflammatory disorders; cyclic nucleotides; Epac; asthma; COPD; fibrosis; alzheimer’s disease; parkinson disease; air pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cerebral small vessel dysfunction and dementia exhibit an increasing prevalence in the world’s aging population. After Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia represents the second most common dementia diagnosis. Interestingly, vascular dementia is also linked to Parkinson’s disease, particularly to vascular Parkinsonism. The major underlying risk factors are metabolic dysfunctions; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are far from being characterized. Recent evidence points to an intricate interplay of vessel dysfunction, microglia sensing, and blood–brain barrier defects, subsequently worsening both vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroinflammation and metabolic alterations centered around mitochondria develop as novel unique players in both pathologies. In addition, studies have reported that air pollutant exposure plays a potential role in the development or aggravation of neurodegenerative diseases, pointing to the importance of the lung–brain and nose–brain axis. This Special Issue aims to define the novel mechanisms underpinning the molecular mechanisms leading to the induction of vascular dementia, neuroinflammation, and blood–brain barrier defects in the context of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia, as well as (vascular) Parkinsonism. We aim for the studies in this Special Issue to focus on providing insights into potential innovative breakthroughs in attempt to find the cause, treatment, and cure. Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the identification of novel targets to diminish defects in small vessels, defects in the sensing of neuroinflammation, and the decline in both the blood–brain barrier and mitochondria, using pharmacological screening platforms, animal models, organoids, and iPSC-derived brain cells and spatial transcriptomics.
Prof. Dr. Martina Schmidt
Dr. Karim Rafie
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 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
- blood–brain barrier
- inducible pluripotent stem cells
- organoids
- scaffolds
- neuroinflammation
- microglia
- mitochondria
- endothelial cells
- drug screening
- virus infections
- cryo-EM
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.
