Neuroinflammation and Psychiatric Disorders: From Mechanisms to Therapy Potential
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: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 29055
Special Issue Editors
Interests: neuroimaging; schziophrenia; psychosis; psychosis risk; neuroinflammation; positron emission tomography; endocannabinoid system; dopaminergic system; stress
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neuroinflammation and abnormal immune function are suggested to contribute to the development and progression of several psychiatric disorders including (but not limited to) neurodegenerative diseases, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the link between these pathophysiological factors and psychiatric disorders are still not clear. Preclinical studies have shown immune abnormalities in animal models of psychiatric disorders. In addition, some immune modulators can induce symptoms resembling psychiatric disorders in animals. Another line of evidence is based on genome-wide association studies showing association between immune-related genes and psychiatric disorders. Supporting this, epidemiological studies have provided evidence for the link between maternal infections during pregnancy and risk of some psychiatric disorders (e.g., autism and schizophrenia) in offspring. One of the most important implications of this research pertains to identification of new targets for novel treatments; as there is a growing body of literature on the role of immune-modulatory medications in prevention and/or treatment of psychiatric disorders. While the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids is controversial (at best) for neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental diseases, future studies should aim for more specific therapies. In this Special Issue, we solicit manuscripts that address any aspects of the connection between neuroinflammation and psychiatric disorders; more importantly articles that illustrate how our current understanding of these pathological factors can help in developing novel treatments.
Prof. Dr. Romina Mizrahi
Dr. Sina Hafizi
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- neuroinflammation
- cytokines
- microglia
- chemokines
- glia
- blood-brain barrier
- immune system
- diagnosis
- prevention
- treatment
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