Novel Neuroprotective Agents and Therapeutics
This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and major depressive disorder, remain among the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Despite substantial advances in symptomatic treatments, effective disease-modifying and neuroprotective therapies remain limited.
Over the past two decades, advances in molecular neuroscience, pharmacology, genetics, and bioinformatics have significantly improved our understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuronal injury and degeneration. Increasing evidence indicates that neurodegeneration and neural dysfunction are not solely neuron-centric processes but involve complex interactions among immune signaling, glial activation, blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, and metabolic imbalance. These insights have opened new avenues for therapeutic intervention and the identification of novel targets.
In parallel, innovative approaches, including high-throughput screening technologies, next-generation sequencing, systems biology, advanced drug delivery platforms, and precision medicine strategies, are accelerating the development of novel neuroprotective agents. Small molecules, biologics, peptides, gene- and cell-based therapies, and natural compounds are being actively explored for their potential to prevent neuronal damage and promote functional recovery.
This Special Issue, "Novel Neuroprotective Agents and Therapeutics", aims to provide a comprehensive platform for papers that explore novel neuroprotective agents and therapeutic strategies. We invite researchers to submit original research articles, short communications, and comprehensive reviews that explore new molecular entities, natural compounds, repurposed drugs, and innovative therapeutic modalities—including small molecules, biologics, and nanomedicines—with demonstrated neuroprotective potential. Contributions that elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms are especially encouraged, including studies addressing the modulation of neuroinflammation, microglial polarization, cytokine signaling, ion channel activity, oxidative stress pathways, synaptic plasticity, and neurovascular integrity.
Preclinical studies and clinical research examining safety, efficacy, biomarkers, and precision therapeutic approaches are all within the scope of this issue.
We look forward to your valuable contributions.
Dr. Yunna Kim
Dr. Yujin Choi
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals 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
- neuroprotection
- neurodegenerative diseases
- neurological disorders
- drug discovery
- therapeutic development
- neuroinflammation
- oxidative stress
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- synaptic plasticity
- blood–brain barrier
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