ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Neurodegenerative Disease: From Molecular Basis to Therapy, 5th Edition

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: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 570

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous, largely age-dependent group of disorders that affect the central nervous system and ultimately lead to neurodegeneration. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing, partly due to the aging population, which is causing a growing economic burden on healthcare systems. Current treatments are mostly symptomatic, do not address the underlying cause of the disease, and have little or no effect on disease progression.

Recent advancements in neurobiology and neurogenetics have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. This has paved the way for the development of molecularly targeted therapies that can pause or slow down the fundamental pathological processes that cause neuronal damage and consequent cognitive and motor dysfunctions. In some cases, neurodegenerative diseases are caused by genetic variants and/or cellular pathway dysregulation. Common mechanisms have been identified for several neurodegenerative conditions, such as the presence of misfolded protein aggregates, the abnormal accumulation of proteins, RNA toxicity, and translational products from the expansion of repeats within genes. As advances are made in understanding critical aspects of the underlying molecular pathophysiology, therapeutic strategies continue to evolve. Among these, gene therapy is attracting significant interest due to its ability to deliver functional genetic material to cells and correct defective genes.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated overview of the advancements in research on neurodegenerative diseases, from understanding the molecular bases to the development of new therapies. Contributions related to, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, Parkinson's disease, and motor neuron diseases are welcome, including original research articles as well as full and short reviews.

Dr. Claudia Ricci
Guest Editor

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

  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • molecular biology
  • neurogenetics
  • pathogenesis
  • therapy
  • personalized medicine

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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

35 pages, 1697 KB  
Review
Astragalus and Cordyceps Derivatives in the Treatment of Aging-Related Chronic Diseases and Neurodegenerative Disorders
by Kiran Reddy Kanubaddi, Chih-Liang Yaung, Horng-Jyh Harn, Tzyy-Wen Chiou, Shao-Xi Hsu, Ivan Wijaya, Shinn-Zong Lin and Wei Wuli
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5273; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125273 (registering DOI) - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 312
Abstract
Aging is associated with a rising burden of chronic metabolic, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurodegenerative diseases that share interconnected pathological mechanisms, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, and immune dysregulation. Because these disorders arise from complex and overlapping biological disturbances, conventional [...] Read more.
Aging is associated with a rising burden of chronic metabolic, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurodegenerative diseases that share interconnected pathological mechanisms, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, and immune dysregulation. Because these disorders arise from complex and overlapping biological disturbances, conventional single-target therapies often provide only limited benefit. In this context, traditional Chinese herbal medicines, characterized by multi-component and multi-target actions, are being re-evaluated using modern pharmacological and systems biology approaches. Among these, Astragalus membranaceus and Cordyceps species have attracted attention as representative tonic medicines with long-standing traditional use and growing biomedical relevance. Their principal bioactive constituents, including polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids, sterols, and nucleoside derivatives such as cordycepin, exert pleiotropic effects on inflammatory signaling, redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, metabolic regulation, and immune responses. This review summarizes current evidence on bioactive derivatives from Astragalus and Cordyceps in aging-related chronic and neurodegenerative disorders, including diabetes, cardiovascular dysfunction, osteoarthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. It focuses on mechanistic findings from cellular and animal studies and critically discusses key translational challenges, such as compositional variability, poor bioavailability, lack of standardized preparation, limited clinical validation, and safety concerns related to toxicity and herb–drug interactions. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop