Dear Colleagues,

Neuroinflammation is associated with the inflammatory responses occurring in the brain and spinal cord in response to external and internal stimuli. They are linked to the production of cytokines, chemokines, alarmins, reactive oxygen species, and secondary mediators, which are produced by CNS microglia and astrocytes, endothelial cells, and peripherally derived immune cells. The initial neuroinflammatory responses lead to the immune, physiological, biochemical, and psychological consequences, which may vary depending on the disease, injury, infection, or stress as well as on the intensity and duration of these pathological processes.

Neuroinflammation and amyloid burden are the most obvious and closely interlinked pathological manifestations of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. Initially, neuroinflammation was considered as a response to the neurodegeneration process; however, recent research has demonstrated that neuroinflammation could be a trigger and a key player in neurodegenerative diseases by creating a pathogenic microenvironment in the brain tissues and by this further exacerbating amyloid aggregation. In both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the affected brain tissues are characterized by damaged responses, including extensive microglial activation and a significant rise in pro-inflammatory cytokines, which sustain inflammation and exacerbate neurodegeneration.

While neuroinflammation is generally an inherently negative process, there are some responses that may be positive, and the balance of inflammatory and intrinsic repair processes influences the functional outcome or disease progression.

In this Special Issue, we welcome a very broad range of observations on the multifaceted phenomenon of neuroinflammation occurring in various ailments and protective responses and how they can be targeted in therapeutic interventions.

Prof. Dr. Ludmilla Morozova-Roche
Dr. Matthew G. Frank
Prof. Dr. Christina Piperi
Guest Editors

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• neuroinflammation
• microglia
• astrocytes
• immune cells
• Alzheimer
• Parkinson