Summary

Neurodegeneration refers to the progressive loss of neuron structure or function, which may eventually lead to cell death. Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and prion disease, are the results of neurodegenerative processes. Neurodegeneration can be found in many different levels of neuronal circuits in the brain, from molecules to systems. Since there is no known method to reverse the progressive degeneration of neurons, these diseases are considered incurable. Biomedical research has revealed many similarities between these diseases at the subcellular level, including atypical protein assembly (such as protein diseases) and induction of cell death. These similarities indicate that progress in the treatment of one neurodegenerative disease may also improve other diseases. This collection of entries aims to collect various medical research results related to neurodegeneration. We invite researchers to share their new results and ideas related to neurodegeneration.

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Entries
Topic Review
The Role of TNF-α in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that represents the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a proinflammatory cytokine, has attracted attention due to its multifaceted and still not fully characterized role in AD and the fact that it could potentially represent a future therapeutic target. Indeed, TNF-α has many roles, not only in inflammation, but also in cell death and proliferation, and is crucial in maintaining CNS homeostasis. TNF-α is primarily produced by microglia, astrocytes, and neurons in response to various stimuli. Although TNF-α has a fundamental role in modulating excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier permeability, regulation of oligodendrocyte survival, myelin formation and repair, its excessive or dysregulated production can have detrimental effects on neuronal health, contributing to the development of neurodegeneration.
  • 163
  • 04 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Kaempferol- and Quercetin-Rich Herbs in Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder impairing cognition and memory in the elderly. This disorder has a complex etiology, including senile plaque and neurofibrillary tangle formation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and damaged neuroplasticity. The treatment options are limited, so alternative treatments such as herbal medicine could suppress symptoms while slowing cognitive decline.
  • 626
  • 02 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Clinical Presentation
Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) are two common diseases in elderly populations. Despite the effectiveness of oral anticoagulant therapy in cardioembolic stroke prevention, intracranial hemorrhage represents the most serious complication of these therapies. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is one of the main risk factors for spontaneous intracranial bleeding, and this risk is highly increased by age and concomitant antithrombotic therapies. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy can be silent for years and then manifest with clinical features simulating TIA (TIA-mimics) or stroke in AF patients, pushing clinicians to rapidly start Vitamin K Antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), thus increasing the risk of intracranial bleeding if the diagnosis of CAA was unknown. Because the cerebral amyloid angiopathy is easily diagnosed with non-contrast MRI, suspecting the disease can avoid catastrophic complications.
  • 259
  • 26 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Neurological Disorder Management
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been extensively studied due to its reversibility and significantly fewer side effects. DBS is mainly a symptomatic therapy, but the stimulation of subcortical areas by DBS is believed to affect the cytoarchitecture of the brain, leading to adaptability and neurogenesis. The neurological disorders most commonly studied with DBS were Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depressive disorder. 
  • 336
  • 22 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Specific Autoantibodies in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) affect millions of people worldwide. They develop due to the pathological accumulation and aggregation of various misfolded proteins, axonal and synaptic loss and dysfunction, inflammation, cytoskeletal abnormalities, defects in DNA and RNA, and neuronal death. This leads to the activation of immune responses and the release of the antibodies against them. Recently, it has become clear that autoantibodies (Aabs) can contribute to demyelination, axonal loss, and brain and cognitive dysfunction. This has significantly changed the understanding of the participation of humoral autoimmunity in neurodegenerative disorders. It is crucial to understand how neuroinflammation is involved in neurodegeneration, to aid in improving the diagnostic and therapeutic value of Aabs in the future.
  • 208
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Immune System, Inflammation and Autoantigens in wAMD
Wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is a chronic inflammation-associated neurodegenerative disease affecting the posterior part of the eye in the aging population. Aging results in the reduced functionality of cells and tissues, including the cells of the retina. Initiators of a chronic inflammatory and pathologic state in wAMD may be a result of the accumulation of inevitable metabolic injuries associated with the maintenance of tissue homeostasis from a young age to over 50. Apart from this, risk factors like smoking, genetic predisposition, and failure to repair the injuries that occur, alongside attempts to rescue the hypoxic outer retina may also contribute to the pathogenesis. Aging of the immune system (immunosenescence) and a compromised outer blood retinal barrier (BRB) result in the exposure of the privileged milieu of the retina to the systemic immune system, further increasing the severity of the disease. 
  • 262
  • 12 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Huntington’s Disease Mechanisms
Huntington’s disease (HD), despite its extrinsic simplicity—only mutation in one gene underlies the pathogenesis—has no effective treatment today. Designing an anti-HD therapy that would eliminate etiology is a topical and relevant task of biomedicine.
  • 302
  • 07 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Superoxide Dismutase 1 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neurodegenerative disease. Cell damage in ALS is the result of many different, largely unknown, pathogenetic mechanisms. Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) physiologically mediates intracellular peroxide generation. About 10% of ALS subjects show a familial disease associated with different gain-of-function SOD1 mutations. The occurrence of sporadic ALS, not clearly associated with SOD1 defects, has been also described. SOD1-dependent pathways have been involved in neuron functional network as well as in immune-response regulation. 
  • 171
  • 30 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Neuroplasticity in Development, Aging, and Neurodegeneration
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize and modify its neural connections in response to environmental stimuli, experience, learning, injury, and disease processes. It encompasses a range of mechanisms, including changes in synaptic strength and connectivity, the formation of new synapses, alterations in the structure and function of neurons, and the generation of new neurons.
  • 259
  • 29 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Polyamines in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Polyamines (Pas) are short molecules that exhibit two or three amine groups that are positively charged at a physiological pH. These small molecules are present in high concentrations in a wide variety of organisms and tissues, suggesting that they play an important role in cellular physiology. Polyamines include spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, which play important roles in age-related diseases that have not been completely elucidated. Aging is a natural process, defined as the time-related deterioration of the physiological functions; it is considered a risk factor for degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and musculoskeletal diseases; arthritis; and even cancer.
  • 355
  • 27 Nov 2023
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