Targeting Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunctions and Neuroinflammation as Therapeutic Strategies for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Converging clinical and preclinical evidence documents that oxidative stress plays a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Mitochondria are a major source and target of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggered by intense bioenergetic processes within cells, including neurons and glia.

Imbalances in neuronal redox status towards the excessive production of ROS as side products lead to the hyperactivation of astrocytes and microglia, resulting in the enhancement of ROS generation and the overactivation of inflammatory pathways. In numerous clinical studies, markers of oxidative stress are elevated in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, and antioxidant treatment has provided promising results in the management of both psychiatric and neurological symptoms, either as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy. For example, through its antioxidant effects, the reduction of cytokine activity, the modulation of dopamine and glutamate transmission, and the reversal of mitochondrial dysfunction, the acetylated precursor of L-cysteine (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) has shown therapeutic properties for the treatment of multiple psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety, and substance-use disorders (SUDs). Similarly, thanks to its marked anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the broad-spectrum antibiotic minocycline has been proposed as an adjuvant treatment for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases featuring an inflammatory basis. On the other hand, aberrant inflammatory markers have been linked to poor response to antidepressant medications, and numerous clinical trials have documented a positive correlation between antipsychotic efficacy and restoration of the imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with schizophrenia.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect research and/or review articles that may help to understand the complex interplay among oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, with the final goal of introducing novel therapeutic intervention strategies. We especially welcome the submission of articles focusing on the role of genetic and non-genetic risk factors (environmental pollutants, bad lifestyle habits, food contaminants, obesity) on the pathological crosstalk between ROS and inflammation in the CNS.

Dr. Roberto Frau
Dr. Silvia Giatti
Guest Editors

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• superoxide
• hydroxyl radical
• hydrogen peroxide
• antioxidant
• neuropsychiatric disorders
• schizophrenia
• bipolar disorders
• glial cells
• astrocytes
• N-Acetylcysteine
• minocycline
• antidepressants
• antipsychotics
• neuroprotective agents
• anti-inflammatory drugs