Extracellular Vesicles-Related Cellular Events in Neuronal Biology: Regulated Cell Death, Autophagy, Unfolded Protein Response, and Stress-Related Pathways

Dear Colleagues,

A better understanding of the mechanisms governing nervous system development and controlling neuronal response to stress, as well as synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis can lead to new therapeutic approaches for the prevention and management of neurodegeneration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently emerged as versatile elements of cellular communication in the nervous system, transporting a variety of biologically active molecules such as lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins that can regulate tissue homeostasis. They are secreted by virtually all brain cell types, including neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia, and play instrumental roles in the homeostasis and function of the nervous system. Accumulating evidence suggests that neuron-derived and glia-derived EVs in adult neurogenic niches represent a novel mechanism of intercellular communication that plays major roles in the maintenance of neuronal function and in normal brain physiology. The EVs are also involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive mechanism that is triggered by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and helps the cell restore homeostasis. A growing body of research demonstrates an important and intricate crosstalk between EVs and autophagy that can influence cell fate decisions, and further, that EVs can be released by dying cells during different programmed cell death mechanisms thereby contributing to the pathology and spreading of neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the latest research on the molecular mechanisms that coordinate the functions of extracellular vesicles and exosomes in ER stress, UPR response, autophagy, and regulated cell death, and how the dysregulation of this balance can lead to pathological processes in the nervous system, including neurodegenerative diseases, spinal cord injuries, or mental disorders. Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcomed. Guest Editor

Dr. Theologos M Michaelidis
Guest Editor

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• extracellular vesicles
• exosomes
• regulated (or programmed) cell death
• autophagy
• homeostasis, stress
• unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathways
• endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress
• protein quality control (PQC)
• mitochondria
• neuron
• neurogenesis
• neurodegeneration
• brain