Central nervous system acting drugs – molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection and neurodegeneration

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Background

In the current world, humans are exposed to different compounds that can exert deleterious modifications in their bodies, taking special attention to changing the activity of their brain, including neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. Neurodegenerative diseases are an increasingly important issue in our society. There are, however, still many obstacles in the way of finding methods for their cure. Various types of biological mechanisms have been associated with neurodegeneration including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, insulin signalling, mitochondrial function, iron homeostasis, and excitotoxicity. Activation of these mechanisms leads to programmed cell death running over many years, whereas their blockade may improve central nervous system function, i.e. neuroprotection.Worldwide drug abuse has increased dramatically, especially in susceptible populations such as youth. There are described the effects of acute and chronic intake of illicit drugs on brain function. These processes are involved in the development of tolerance and dependence on psychoactive drugs. It was revealed that the long-term abuse of illicit drugs, especially methamphetamine, has been associated with an increased risk for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, e.g. Parkinson’s disease. However, the ethology underlying effects on central nervous system of drugs of abuse are not yet fully resolved. As there is currently no effective treatment for neurodegeneration resulting from both abuse of psychoactive drugs and age-dependent brain diseases, a significant part of research effort has shifted toward finding preventive as well as treatments for neurodegeneration.The need for effective and well-tolerated remedies for neurodegeneration has led scientists to analyze thoroughly the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and the possibility of using new drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The mechanisms behind their curative effects rely mainly on their action on distinct pathways associated with neurodegeneration, e.g. reduction of reactive oxygen species, anti-inflammation, and inhibition of beta-amyloid aggregation, increase cholinergic neurotransmission. However, many other medicines may show interesting central nervous system activities that have not been investigated yet. Animal models, biochemical as well as molecular studies provide insight into the basic neurodegenerative mechanisms, offering new ways for future prevention/treatment strategies. Therefore, in this Research Topic, we aim to discuss the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. It will provide a thorough look into neurotoxicity induced by drug abuse as well as their pharmacological and chemical properties, safety aspects, and interactions with living organisms of new medicines for neurodegeneration treatment. We welcome original research, systematic reviews covering but not limited to, the following themes: 1. Overview of neuroprotective drugs that are currently in research and development to give the reader an idea about the complexity of drug discovery in this field 2. Neurodegenerative mechanisms of synthetic substances including illicit drugs 3. Molecular mechanisms of action for neuroprotective agents.

Keywords: neurodegeneration, drugs of abuse, molecular mechanisms

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