Emerging Biological and Molecular Targets in Schizophrenia
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 October 2025 | Viewed by 1028
Special Issue Editor
2. Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
Interests: schizophrenia; psychedelics; psychopharmacology; clozapine; kynurenine pathway; inflammation; cognition; language
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Schizophrenia is characterized by several symptom dimensions that show high heterogeneity in terms of biological underpinnings. Licensed pharmacological treatments can manage positive symptoms quite well, although not always satisfactorily. However, negative and cognitive symptoms still represent unmet clinical needs only partially addressed by drugs and rehabilitations strategies. Thus, the identification of new targets of treatment is of paramount importance to ameliorate daily functioning and quality of life for people with schizophrenia. Mounting evidence points to a multitude of new potential biological/molecular targets for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments that go beyond the conventional dopaminergic system. Modulation of NMDARs and other receptors (cholinergic, GABA), neuroplasticity, and synaptic homeostasis, as well as Trace Amine-Associated Receptors (TAARs), the kynurenine pathway—regarding, in particular, kynurenic acid (KYNA), and neuroinflammation are just some of the candidate systems. Some preclinical evidence, combined with old clinical studies, also lays the foundation for starting to consider psychedelics as a possible treatment for deficit-schizophrenia. In conclusion, all papers with the aim of disentangling possible determinants of illness and/or identifying new possible targets for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for schizophrenia are welcome. Opinion papers and perspectives with a strong scientific rationale are welcome as well.
Dr. Jacopo Sapienza
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- schizophrenia
- cognition
- negative symptoms
- synapses
- kynurenine pathway
- TAAR1
- psychedelics
- new treatments
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