About this Research Topic

Background

As many proteins prioritize function over stability, cells are forced to use complex machinery to help them in folding, assembly, and utilization. This system of quality control is critical in the tissues with limited potential for renewal, especially under various stress conditions. Misfolded and unutilized proteins are a cargo which may provoke cellular damage resulting in pathological conditions such as neurodegeneration. In this regard, molecular chaperones play a crucial role in cellular homeostasis, and this impact is reflected in the high cellular content of various chaperones. Moreover, a series of clinical studies has described positive effects of therapeutic interventions based on regulation of chaperone concentration in a wide spectrum of pathologies of the brain. Thus, an understanding of the molecular function addressed by chaperones may improve current therapeutic approaches and open up novel avenues to treat neuropathological conditions.

Recent advances make it possible to consider molecular chaperones one of the most promising links to develop novel strategies for the treatment of neurodegeneration and ischemic damage in the brain. In this respect, we organize this Research Topic named "Multifaceted roles of molecular chaperones in the nervous system: focus on neurodegeneration and stroke". This issue is suggested to summarize recent findings regarding the positive and negative roles of chaperones in the nervous system. We hope that different research groups may unite their efforts to improve our understanding of the nearest horizons in clinical applications of chaperone-based therapies, in the most common groups of neuropathological conditions.

This Research Topic broadly encourages the submission of original articles, as well as reviews and commentaries pertaining to the role of molecular chaperones in the nervous system. These articles may focus on:

• in vivo, in vitro, and in silico studies of the neurobiological functions of molecular chaperones and their contribution to pathology during neurodegeneration and stroke (works related to recently discovered family of Hero-proteins are especially welcome).
• Exploration of neuropharmacological interventions using molecular chaperones.
• Studies using genetically modified and transgenic animals to examine the function of molecular chaperones in healthy brain and during neuropathology.
• Reviews and commentaries focusing on topics of current and future research avenues.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: molecular chaperones, nervous system, neurodegeneration, stroke

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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