Dear Colleagues,

We invite the submission of original research and review articles for a Special Issue titled “Emerging Therapies for Hereditary Ataxia”. Hereditary ataxia (HA) represents a group of genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases. It can be classified by the pattern of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked ataxia. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage have been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of HA. With no cure and a reduced lifespan, HA causes motor incoordination and progressive functional disabilities in young and middle-aged populations. The lack of effective therapeutic options remains a major gap in the field. Therapy aimed at boosting antioxidant defenses is efficient in the treatment of HA. The combined use of a mitochondrial antioxidant and an iron-binding chelator is rapidly emerging as a powerful therapeutic strategy for a wide range of HAs. Stem cell transplantation may represent a new avenue for clinical research in HA. Additionally, complementary and alternative medicines could play a key role in regulating cellular metabolic processes including inflammatory signaling, mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism, therefore facilitating the process of drug development and discovery for HA. We welcome cellular models of pathology and in vivo studies that provide valuable information for all stages of biomedical research, as well as research involving human subjects in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Disease-modifying management of hereditary ataxia;
• Stem cell transplantation for hereditary ataxia;
• Dysregulation of iron metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction;
• Role of oxidative stress in hereditary ataxia;
• Future perspectives for complementary and alternative medicines.

Dr. Kah-Hui Wong
Dr. Patrícia Maciel
Dr. Piergiorgio La Rosa
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Cells 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 2400 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.

• hereditary ataxia
• movement disorder
• emerging neurotherapeutics
• complementary and alternative medicines
• secondary metabolites
• neuroprotection
• mitigation of oxidative stress
• mitochondria-targeted antioxidants