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Novel Neuroprotective Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation
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Novel Neuroprotective Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1092

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fatih Tok

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University, Maltepe, Istanbul 34854, Türkiye
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug design and discovery; structure elucidation; anti-Alzheimer; neurodegenerative diseases; enzyme inhibitors; structure–activity relationship studies
Dr. Letizia Giampietro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; PPAR ligands; anticancer agents; neuroprotection; antioxidants; aromatase inhibitors; enzymatic inhibitos; small molecules; medicinal chemistry; drug discovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diseases affecting the central nervous system are becoming increasingly prevalent health problems today. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can be caused by factors such as infections, oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Neuroprotective agents are known to play a critical role in fighting central nervous system diseases by protecting the brain from damage caused by these factors. However, more effective and safer new molecular treatment methods need to be discovered.

This Special Issue focuses on the latest research into the rational design of new neuroprotective agents, including synthesis methodologies, structural characterization studies, the evaluation of biological activities and the investigation of structure–biological activity relationships. This issue aims to provide readers in this field with an important resource by compiling scientific articles on current neuroprotective agents and laying the groundwork for the discovery and development of a new generation of neuroprotective agents.

We invite researchers to contribute to this Special Issue with research articles, short communications and reviews covering the latest approaches to the development of neuroprotective agents.

Dr. Fatih Tok
Dr. Letizia Giampietro
Guest Editors

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • heterocyclic compounds
  • rational design
  • enzyme inhibitors
  • structure–activity relationship
  • structural characterization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

32 pages, 1220 KB  
Review
Ibogaine: Therapeutic Potential, Cardiac Safety, and Translational Perspectives in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders—A Scoping Review
by Monica Patrícia Esperança, Nelson G. M. Gomes and Maria Graça Campos
Molecules 2026, 31(3), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31030545 - 4 Feb 2026
Viewed by 909
Abstract
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) constitutes a major and persistent global public health burden, accounting for approximately 600,000 deaths annually, largely driven by opioid use. Despite substantial advances in addiction neuroscience, currently approved therapeutic strategies remain limited in efficacy, as they predominantly target isolated [...] Read more.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) constitutes a major and persistent global public health burden, accounting for approximately 600,000 deaths annually, largely driven by opioid use. Despite substantial advances in addiction neuroscience, currently approved therapeutic strategies remain limited in efficacy, as they predominantly target isolated neurobiological processes and fail to concurrently address core mechanisms such as glutamatergic hyperactivity, mesolimbic hypodopaminergic, and dysfunction of cortical and executive control networks. This mechanistic fragmentation contributes to persistently high relapse rates and underscores the need for integrative and multitarget therapeutic approaches. Within this context, ibogaine has re-emerged as a clinical candidate due to its distinctive multimodal neuropharmacological profile and its reported capacity to modulate multiple pathways implicated in addictive behaviours. However, the clinical translation of ibogaine remains substantially constrained by fragmented and heterogeneous evidence, the absence of regulatory frameworks in several jurisdictions, limited phytochemical validation and standardization of available formulations, and unresolved concerns regarding cardiac safety. This scoping review critically synthesizes the available preclinical and clinical literature on ibogaine in the treatment of SUD, with particular emphasis on reported effects on withdrawal symptoms and craving, dose–response relationships, and the occurrence of cardiac adverse events. By clarifying the current state of the evidence and delineating key translational constraints, this review defines the conditions under which ibogaine, an indole alkaloid isolated from Tabernanthe iboga Baill. (Apocynaceae), may warrant continued investigation. The hypothesis of a neurobiological “reset”, supported by emerging preclinical and clinical data, positions ibogaine as a compound of relevance in addiction research and highlights the need for rigorous pharmacological, toxicological, and regulatory evaluation to inform safer and more standardized clinical pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Neuroprotective Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation)
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