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Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases 4.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 3277

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Neuronal Circuits Lab, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 15, 46010 València, Spain
Interests: systems neuroscience; brain oscillations; hippocampus; memory processing; attention
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a continued issue of our hot topic “Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases”.

The knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases has been circumscribed for many years to its clinical aspects and, in some cases, to different therapeutic attempts. Close to twenty years ago, little was known about the causes of these diseases and of their production mechanisms. The progress made in recent years has been very positive, and new avenues of investigation are being opened. Today, we know that neurodegenerative diseases are mainly the consequence of abnormalities in the process of certain proteins, which gives rise to their accumulation in neurons or in their vicinity, diminishing or cancelling their functions. The discovery of these proteins has allowed their use as molecular or imaging markers of these diseases, such as beta-amyloid in the case of Alzheimer's. Therefore, the use of biomarkers in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases has increased in recent years. Biomarkers are events found in the human body that are used to identify a biological state. Clinically, they are very useful to determine the risk, presence, and severity of a disease. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the most common source of molecular biomarkers in neurodegeneration. On the other hand, neuroimaging also provides important information about the affected brain areas. Among these biomarkers, those which are involved with neuroimaging are usually expensive and their affordability is frequently limited. CSF biomarkers are sensitive and specific, but their use is limited because a lumbar puncture is required and thus they can cause side effects.

Given the impact of dementia on the global population, the scientific community has driven itself into the quest of finding new biomarkers whose availability is easier for both patients and clinicians. Therefore, the option was to search for new blood-borne biomarkers. Moreover, due to the lower price and reduced invasiveness, a peripheral biomarker can also provide the chance to serve as a screening test to help the diagnosis of neurodegeneration and to monitor progression and response to a hypothetical treatment.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect recent information about peripheral biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Lewy bodies dementia, multiple sclerosis, frontal dementia, Huntington disease, and others. Papers about molecules useful for diagnosis, evolution, prevention, and risk factors are welcome. We invite authors to contribute original research articles as well as review articles exploring peripheral biomarkers in neurodegeneration. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • microRNAs, proteins, and lipids as peripheral biomarkers of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington, etc;
  • Oxidized or inflammation-related molecules as markers of any neurodegenerative disease;
  • New CSF molecules as biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases;
  • Neuroimaging and neuronal activity as biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Ana Cervera
Dr. Ana Lloret
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson disease
  • Huntington disease
  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Friedreich’s ataxia
  • Lewy bodies dementia
  • spinal muscular atrophy

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3288 KiB  
Article
Phosphoproteome Microarray Analysis of Extracellular Particles as a Tool to Explore Novel Biomarker Candidates for Alzheimer’s Disease
by Tânia Soares Martins, Steven Pelech, Maria Ferreira, Beatriz Pinho, Kevin Leandro, Luís Pereira de Almeida, Benedict Breitling, Niels Hansen, Hermann Esselmann, Jens Wiltfang, Odete A. B. da Cruz e Silva and Ana Gabriela Henriques
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031584 - 27 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Phosphorylation plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, impacting distinct processes such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide production and tau phosphorylation. Impaired phosphorylation events contribute to senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles’ formation, two major histopathological hallmarks of AD. Blood-derived extracellular particles (bdEP) [...] Read more.
Phosphorylation plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, impacting distinct processes such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide production and tau phosphorylation. Impaired phosphorylation events contribute to senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles’ formation, two major histopathological hallmarks of AD. Blood-derived extracellular particles (bdEP) can represent a disease-related source of phosphobiomarker candidates, and hence, in this pilot study, bdEP of Control and AD cases were analyzed by a targeted phosphoproteomics approach using a high-density microarray that featured at least 1145 pan-specific and 913 phosphosite-specific antibodies. This approach, innovatively applied to bdEP, allowed the identification of 150 proteins whose expression levels and/or phosphorylation patterns were significantly altered across AD cases. Gene Ontology enrichment and Reactome pathway analysis unraveled potentially relevant molecular targets and disease-associated pathways, and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed to highlight key targets. The discriminatory value of both the total proteome and the phosphoproteome was evaluated by univariate and multivariate approaches. This pilot experiment supports that bdEP are enriched in phosphotargets relevant in an AD context, holding value as peripheral biomarker candidates for disease diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases 4.0)
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15 pages, 5348 KiB  
Article
Network Analysis Performed on Transcriptomes of Parkinson’s Disease Patients Reveals Dysfunction in Protein Translation
by Simone D’Angiolini, Maria Lui, Emanuela Mazzon and Marco Calabrò
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021299 - 21 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. The hallmark pathological feature of PD is the accumulation of misfolded proteins, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates [...] Read more.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. The hallmark pathological feature of PD is the accumulation of misfolded proteins, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates known as Lewy bodies. Recent data evidenced how disruptions in protein synthesis, folding, and degradation are events commonly observed in PD and may provide information on the molecular background behind its etiopathogenesis. In the present study, we used a publicly available transcriptomic microarray dataset of peripheral blood of PD patients and healthy controls (GSE6613) to investigate the potential dysregulation of elements involved in proteostasis-related processes at the transcriptomic level. Our bioinformatics analysis revealed 375 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 281 were down-regulated and 94 were up-regulated. Network analysis performed on the observed DEGs highlighted a cluster of 36 elements mainly involved in the protein synthesis processes. Different enriched ontologies were related to translation initiation and regulation, ribosome structure, and ribosome components nuclear export. Overall, this data consistently points to a generalized impairment of the translational machinery and proteostasis. Dysregulation of these mechanics has been associated with PD pathogenesis. Understanding the precise regulation of such processes may shed light on the molecular mechanisms of PD and provide potential data for early diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases 4.0)
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Review

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17 pages, 1453 KiB  
Review
Modulation of the Circadian Rhythm and Oxidative Stress as Molecular Targets to Improve Vascular Dementia: A Pharmacological Perspective
by Walter Ángel Trujillo-Rangel, Sofía Acuña-Vaca, Danna Jocelyn Padilla-Ponce, Florencia Guillermina García-Mercado, Blanca Miriam Torres-Mendoza, Fermín P. Pacheco-Moises, Martha Escoto-Delgadillo, Leonel García-Benavides and Daniela L. C. Delgado-Lara
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4401; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25084401 - 16 Apr 2024
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Abstract
The circadian rhythms generated by the master biological clock located in the brain’s hypothalamus influence central physiological processes. At the molecular level, a core set of clock genes interact to form transcription–translation feedback loops that provide the molecular basis of the circadian rhythm. [...] Read more.
The circadian rhythms generated by the master biological clock located in the brain’s hypothalamus influence central physiological processes. At the molecular level, a core set of clock genes interact to form transcription–translation feedback loops that provide the molecular basis of the circadian rhythm. In animal models of disease, a desynchronization of clock genes in peripheral tissues with the central master clock has been detected. Interestingly, patients with vascular dementia have sleep disorders and irregular sleep patterns. These alterations in circadian rhythms impact hormonal levels, cardiovascular health (including blood pressure regulation and blood vessel function), and the pattern of expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, oxidative stress in vascular dementia can arise from ischemia-reperfusion injury, amyloid-beta production, the abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein, and alterations in neurotransmitters, among others. Several signaling pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia. While the precise mechanisms linking circadian rhythms and vascular dementia are still being studied, there is evidence to suggest that maintaining healthy sleep patterns and supporting proper circadian rhythm function may be important for reducing the risk of vascular dementia. Here, we reviewed the main mechanisms of action of molecular targets related to the circadian cycle and oxidative stress in vascular dementia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases 4.0)
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