Immunity in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Systemic Immune Imbalance, Neuroinflammation, and Beyond
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: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 1690
Special Issue Editors
Interests: adaptive and innate immunity; neuroimmunity; cellular signaling; immunology; T cells
Interests: neuroinflammation; astrocyte; microglia; Alzheimer’s disease; animal model
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Although immune reactions in the central nervous system (CNS) were in the past uniformly branded as noxious, it is now increasingly clear that the immune system closely monitors the CNS and exerts a major protective role. It does so both from within the CNS parenchyma, primarily through the only resident immune cell there (microglia), and from afar, via numerous peripheral immune cell subsets. The latter can oftentimes act without crossing the blood–brain barrier. This shows the immense power of communication between the immune system and the CNS that operates through numerous passages (the choroid plexus, brain-draining lymph vessels, and skull bone marrow channels), neuroimmune units in the gut and skin, the vagus nerve, and others. Notably, in many pathologic conditions, the immune system can turn neurotoxic and become the primary source of neuronal damage and ultimately death. Neuroinflammation is being identified as one of the most important pathological hallmarks in different brain pathologies. It can be seen in a wide variety of diseases ranging from brain trauma to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and frontotemporal dementia. Recent years have brought new insights on various neuroprotective and neurotoxic functions exerted not only by the microglia, border-associated macrophages, and (exceptionally limited) adaptive immune cells in the CNS, but also by various peripheral immune subsets, including but not limited to regulatory CD4 T cells, NK cells, neuromuscular junction macrophages, and mast cells. These two opposite functions have a range of implications on processes of neurodevelopment, synaptogenesis, neuroplasticity, chronic stress, and neurodegeneration.
We encourage the submission of original research and review articles that cover the following topics:
- Genetics and molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration linked to immune functions.
- The role of CNS resident immune cells in neuroprotection and neurotoxicity.
- The systemic immune imbalance in neurodegenerative diseases.
- The link between ageing and neuroinflammation.
- Neuro-immune axis.
- Peripheral vs. central mediators of neuroinflammation.
- Preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting immune system in neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Ivana Munitic
Prof. Dr. Frenkel Dan
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
- neurodegeneration
- CNS immunosurveillance
- neuroinflammation
- neuro-immune axis
- glia
- T cells
- phagocytosis
- immunomodulation
- autoimmunity
- immunodeficiency
