Marine Bioactive Molecules: Novel Therapeutic Advances in Neurodegenerative Diseases
A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 150
Special Issue Editor
Interests: neurodegenerative disease; aging; traumatic brain injury; neuroprotection; neurorepair; neuroprotective agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other aging-related disorders, represent one of the most pressing global health challenges. Their complex multifactorial pathogenesis, driven by oxidative stress, protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and impaired cellular homeostasis, continues to limit the effectiveness of current therapeutic strategies. As the need for innovative and disease-modifying treatments grows, marine biodiversity is increasingly recognized as a unique and powerful source of bioactive molecules with exceptional pharmacological potential.
Marine organisms, such as microalgae, sponges, cyanobacteria, tunicates, mollusks, and marine-derived fungi, produce structurally diverse compounds with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and neuroregenerative activities. Many marine natural products have demonstrated the ability to modulate key pathways implicated in neurodegeneration, including protein misfolding, synaptic dysfunction, mitochondrial integrity, and neuronal survival signaling. These features make marine bioactives promising candidates for the development of next-generation neurotherapeutic agents.
This Special Issue titled, “Marine Bioactive Molecules: Novel Therapeutic Advances in Neurodegenerative Diseases,” aims to showcase the most recent advances in the identification, characterization, and preclinical or translational evaluation of marine-derived compounds with therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative conditions. We welcome studies exploring molecular mechanisms, structure–activity relationships, innovative drug delivery approaches, and cutting-edge technologies for discovering novel neuroactive metabolites from marine sources.
Original research articles, reviews, and communications are welcome. Contributions addressing innovative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and to advancing this emerging and promising research area within the field of marine natural products and neurodegeneration.
Dr. Mariano Catanesi
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. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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
- marine bioactive compounds
- neurodegenerative diseases
- neuroprotection
- marine natural products
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- neuroinflammation
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.
