Hot Topics in Cellular Neuropathology (Volume II): Promoting neuronal plasticity in the injured central nervous system

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Background

Progress in Cellular Neuropathology is greatly promoted by paradigm changes. Clinical neurosciences were predominated by Ramon y Cajal’s doctrine for ⁓80 years that injured neurons in the adult brain have limited possibilities of regeneration and sprouting. This view was challenged in the 1980ies and 1990ies by discoveries that axonal growth inhibitors released by glial cells actively prevent neuronal sprouting. These growth inhibitors are downregulated upon injury, opening ways for neuronal plasticity and neurological recovery. Interestingly, the neutralization of axonal growth inhibitors by delivery of neutralizing antibodies directed against these growth inhibitors rigorously increase axonal sprouting in vitro and in vivo and enhance functional neurological recovery in rodent and non-human primate spinal cord trauma and ischemic stroke models. Currently, considerable efforts are made to establish neurorestorative treatments following central nervous system (CNS) injury. First clinical proof-of-concept studies using strategies that promote neuronal plasticity made promising observations. With the use of adequately designed and powered studies, chances appear favorable that plasticity-promoting treatments might be translated successfully into clinics.

Within this Hot Topics in Cellular Neuropathology platform, a first very successful series of papers evaluated the role of subtle neuroinflammation in chronic neurodegeneration "Hot Topics in Cellular Neuropathology" . The papers published within this first volume examined how subtle, unbalanced neuroinflammation persisting in the chronic phase of brain injury unfavorably influences brain integrity and function, similar to the subtle neuroinflammation associated with psychosocial stress or major depressive disorder. Due to the persistent neuroinflammation, brain injury, psychosocial stress and major depressive disorder may result in long-term physical, cognitive and mental health deficits. Within this second volume, this journal aims to search for hot papers in the Cellular Neuropathology field analyzing the role of neuronal plasticity in the injured CNS. As in the previous Research Topic, suitable manuscripts should have landscape-changing potential, overcome existing limitations, pave the way for therapeutic progress and deserve attention in future research developments.

Papers on axonal, dendritic or synaptic plasticity are welcome using in vitro or in vivo models of CNS trauma, ischemia, slowly evolving neurodegeneration, infection or cancer, besides others. Papers submitted may
• scrutinize molecular mechanisms underlying axonal, dendritic or synaptic plasticity.
• examine how cellular interactions of neurons, e.g., with astrocytes, microglia or vascular cells, modify plasticity processes. There is a major need for such studies, since these studies may allow us to identify targets for plasticity-promoting therapies.
• evaluate structural correlates of neuronal plasticity using innovative neuroimaging tools, such as 2-photon microscopy, light sheet microscopy or super resolution microscopy, which provide information about neuronal plasticity in real time in live animals and in 3D.
• link functional changes on the single cell or network level to functional neurological recovery. The evaluation of neurological recovery in animals following CNS injury is a demanding task, and there is still a need for refined sensorimotor and cognitive tests that reliably detect clinically relevant deficits.

In this search for the best ideas and concepts, Original research, Reviews, Perspectives, and Opinions are welcome. Papers will be judged based on excellence, originality, and innovation potential. Outstanding papers will be featured in an editorial.

Keywords: cellular neuropathology, excellence, innovation, originality, therapy, neuronal plasticity, CNS trauma, ischemia, slowly evolving neurodegeneration, #CollectionSeries

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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