About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

Manuscript Submission Deadline 31 May 2025
This Research Topic is still accepting articles.
1. Check author guidelines

Background

Methodological advancements have played a pivotal role in driving biomedical progress. A striking illustration of this notion is the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology by Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna in 2012, which earned them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. This innovation, which facilitates precise gene editing, has revolutionized the capability to incorporate gene sequences into genomes with an unprecedented level of accuracy and efficiency.

The genesis of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology emerged unexpectedly from investigations into Streptococcus pyogenes. Within this context, Charpentier uncovered an entirely novel molecule, tracrRNA, which constitutes a crucial component of the bacterium's innate defense mechanism aimed at neutralizing viruses by cleaving their DNA strands. Through strategic manipulation of the bacterium's molecular components and the adaptation of its enzymatic machinery, Charpentier and Doudna ingeniously reprogrammed these molecular “scissors”, endowing them with the ability to cleave DNA molecules at predetermined locations. This remarkable technique, when extended to eukaryotic cells, has unlocked unparalleled avenues in the realm of gene editing, thereby profoundly augmenting our comprehension of cellular physiology and pathology.

Consequently, the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has emerged as a cornerstone of modern biotechnology over the past decade. Its global utilization across bioscience domains underscores its impact and significance, and its applications have extended far into the field of clinical neurosciences. So far, CRISPR/Cas9 has inseminated Cellular Neuropathology in the modeling of neurological disorders, concepts of neurodevelopment, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine. It is important to note that while CRISPR/Cas9 technology holds immense potential, there are also challenges to overcome, including off-target effects, delivery methods, and the need for rigorous safety assessments before any clinical applications can be more widely adopted.

In an effort to identify the most promising concepts in translational neurosciences, the Cellular Neuropathology section of Frontiers in Cellular Neurosciences recently launched a platform, the Hot Topics hub. Within this platform, this journal searches for impactful papers in Cellular Neuropathology, which carry landscape-changing potential, broaden imagination horizons and expand current diagnostic or therapeutic possibilities. Within this platform, two previous Research Topics evaluated the role of subtle neuroinflammation in chronic neurodegeneration and the roles of neuronal plasticity in the injured CNS. Within this new Research Topic, we would like to shift the focus from distinct disease pathomechanisms to a methodological tool, which broadly impacts various disease areas. As in the previous Research Topics, suitable manuscripts should push our understanding of neurological diseases, overcome existing limitations, pave the way for therapeutic progress and deserve attention in future research developments. Papers studying disease targets are welcome in the central and peripheral nervous systems, similar to papers studying CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapies in vitro and in vivo. With this Research Topic, we would like to expand current knowledge in the field of functional genomics and gain further insight into neurodevelopmental disorders. This Research Topic is open for all disease areas. Papers outlining limitations and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9 technologies are particularly invited. In this search for the best ideas and concepts, Original Research, Reviews, Perspectives, and Opinions are envisaged. Papers will be reviewed based on excellence, originality, and innovation potential. Outstanding papers will be featured in an editorial. We are looking forward to your contributions to this new Research Topic.

Article types and fees

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

Brief Research Report
Case Report
Data Report
Editorial
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion

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

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9, neurological disorders, neurodevelopment, gene therapy, gene editing

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.

Topic editors

dirk m. hermann
University of Duisburg-Essen
Duisburg, Germany

Frequently asked questions

Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.
Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.
The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.
Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.
As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.
A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.
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In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.
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Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.
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A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.
The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.
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If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.
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Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.
As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.
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Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

Cellular Neuropathology

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

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