Dear Colleagues,

Neuromelanin (NM), which appears as brown pigmented granules in the human central nervous system, is localized in brain regions such as the substantia nigra (SN) and the locus coeruleus (LC). Although it is reported that NM is structurally derived from DA and cysteinylDA, in contrast to DOPA for the cutaneous melanin, the biosynthesis and function of neuromelanin (NM) remain poorly understood. NM is known to accumulate in the human brain with aging. On the other hand, the degeneration of NM-containing dopaminergic neurons is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a common, age-related neurodegenerative disease. Additionally, PD has been consistently linked to melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer arising from melanin-producing melanocytes. For this Special Issue of IJMS, we are looking for research articles or reviews that can deliver profound insights into the mechanism of NM production with respect to PD, the role of NM in PD, the development of non-invasive methods for detecting NM as a biomarker for PD, and the potential for targeting the NM pathway as a therapeutic strategy for PD.

Prof. Dr. Kazumasa Wakamatsu
Dr. Xiqun Chen
Guest Editors

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• neuromelanin
• Parkinson’s disease
• substantia nigra
• locus coeruleus
• L-Dopamine
• L-Norepinephrine
• L-DOPA
• melanoma