Neurodegenerative diseases are complex, age-related disorders that are a growing health problem, exerting a tremendous burden on both affected individuals and society as a whole. Moreover, with the rising life expectancy in industrialized countries, and thus the increasing incidences of these disorders, there is now, more than ever, an urgent need for novel therapies to either halt and/or reverse the progression of these disorders. Central to the development of more efficient therapies, has been the extensive research over the past two decades into the molecular and cell biology of many of these disorders, that is now beginning to come to fruition with the development of mechanism-based therapies and biomarkers that can help treat affected patients at earlier stages in the disease.
To date, numerous molecular and cellular events contributing to these disorders have been revealed. Furthermore, increasing evidence implies that mechanisms underlying neuronal demise in these disorders may be shared. For example, compromised mitochondria function, although prominent in Parkinson’s disease, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Misfolding of proteins has also been demonstrated in many of disorders, and recent studies have demonstrated how misfolded proteins implicated in several neurodegenerative disease are able to propagate themselves.
In this research topic, our emphasis is on outlining progress made in understanding the basic molecular and cell biology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), triple repeat diseases, and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We ask for investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles or case reports, that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the cell and molecular biology behind the underlying causes of these neurodegenerative disorders.
Neurodegenerative diseases are complex, age-related disorders that are a growing health problem, exerting a tremendous burden on both affected individuals and society as a whole. Moreover, with the rising life expectancy in industrialized countries, and thus the increasing incidences of these disorders, there is now, more than ever, an urgent need for novel therapies to either halt and/or reverse the progression of these disorders. Central to the development of more efficient therapies, has been the extensive research over the past two decades into the molecular and cell biology of many of these disorders, that is now beginning to come to fruition with the development of mechanism-based therapies and biomarkers that can help treat affected patients at earlier stages in the disease.
To date, numerous molecular and cellular events contributing to these disorders have been revealed. Furthermore, increasing evidence implies that mechanisms underlying neuronal demise in these disorders may be shared. For example, compromised mitochondria function, although prominent in Parkinson’s disease, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Misfolding of proteins has also been demonstrated in many of disorders, and recent studies have demonstrated how misfolded proteins implicated in several neurodegenerative disease are able to propagate themselves.
In this research topic, our emphasis is on outlining progress made in understanding the basic molecular and cell biology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), triple repeat diseases, and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We ask for investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles or case reports, that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the cell and molecular biology behind the underlying causes of these neurodegenerative disorders.
