This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.
This book provides an overview of the current applications of nanomaterials in brain diseases, and introduces several novel nanomaterials that have excellent potential in this field. During the last two decades, nanotechnology had matured significantly as it has transitioned from a bench-top science to an applied technology. However, the application of nanomaterials in basic and clinical neuroscience is still at an early stage, and understanding how the intrinsic properties of nanomaterials translate to complex biological responses is an area of intensive research. Part 1 of the book focuses on the principles and strategies of nanomedicine in the brain diseases, while part 2 examines the applications of promising nanomaterials for therapy and diagnosis in the brain. Together they offer a comprehensive picture of advances in nanotechnology and their successful use in treating brain diseases in the past 20 years.
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are the most common pathologies of the central nervous system currently without a cure. They share common molecular and cellular characteristics, including protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate toxicity, dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and ageing, which contribute to neuronal death. Efforts to treat these diseases are often limited by their multifactorial etiology. Natural products, thanks to their multitarget activities, are considered promising alternatives for the treatment of neurodegeneration. This book deals with two different forms of natural products: extracts and isolated compounds. The study of the bioactivity of the extracts is extremely important as many studies have demonstrated the synergistic effect of the combination of different natural products. On the other hand, the investigation of the activity of specifically isolated natural products can be also important to understand their cellular and molecular mechanisms and to define the specific bioactive components in extracts or foods. This book can be considered an important contribution to knowledge of the neuroprotective effect of natural products and presents a great deal of information, related to both the benefits but also the limitations of their use in counteracting neurodegeneration.
This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.
As clinical trials of pharmacological neuroprotective strategies in stroke have been disappointing, attention has turned to the brain's own endogenous strategies for neuroprotection. Two endogenous mechanisms have been recently characterized, ischemic preconditioning and ischemic postconditioning. In the present topic newly characterized mechanisms involved in preconditioning- and postconditioning- neuroprotection will be discussed. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective pathways induced by preconditioning and postconditioning will be clinically relevant for identifying new druggable target for neurodegenerative disorder therapy. Furthermore, the importance of these neuroprotective strategies resides in that it might be easily translatable into clinical practice. Therefore, the data presented here will highlight the capacity of ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning to be of benefit to humans.
Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.
A translational overview of neuroimmune diseases for neuroscientists and clinicians that clarifies the pathological mechanisms underlying neuroimmune diseases and builds a comprehensive bridge between the latest research findings and their clinical implications in daily practice. The material is presented in two steps. The first section comprises a review of the pathogenic actions of immune cells in brain diseases. Here the authors discuss the mechanisms through which immune cells disrupt the functions of nerve cells. The second section explores the ways in which the brain becomes dysfunctional due to impaired nerve cell function. Based on pathogenesis, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are discussed for each clinical category. The book will be invaluable for use in clinical practice of neuroimmune diseases
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a complex neural network embedded in the gut wall that orchestrates the reflex behaviors of the intestine. The ENS is often referred to as the “little brain” in the gut because the ENS is more similar in size, complexity and autonomy to the central nervous system (CNS) than other components of the autonomic nervous system. Like the brain, the ENS is composed of neurons that are surrounded by glial cells. Enteric glia are a unique type of peripheral glia that are similar to astrocytes of the CNS. Yet enteric glial cells also differ from astrocytes in many important ways. The roles of enteric glial cell populations in the gut are beginning to come to light and recent evidence implicates enteric glia in almost every aspect of gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology. However, elucidating the exact mechanisms by which enteric glia influence gastrointestinal physiology and identifying how those roles are altered during gastrointestinal pathophysiology remain areas of intense research. The purpose of this e-book is to provide an introduction to enteric glial cells and to act as a resource for ongoing studies on this fascinating population of glia. Table of Contents: Introduction / A Historical Perspective on Enteric Glia / Enteric Glia: The Astroglia of the Gut / Molecular Composition of Enteric Glia / Development of Enteric Glia / Functional Roles of Enteric Glia / Enteric Glia and Disease Processes in the Gut / Concluding Remarks / References / Author Biography
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), are a set of more than 30 health disorders associated with both the temporomandibular joints and the muscles and tissues of the jaw. TMDs have a range of causes and often co-occur with a number of overlapping medical conditions, including headaches, fibromyalgia, back pain and irritable bowel syndrome. TMDs can be transient or long-lasting and may be associated with problems that range from an occasional click of the jaw to severe chronic pain involving the entire orofacial region. Everyday activities, including eating and talking, are often difficult for people with TMDs, and many of them suffer with severe chronic pain due to this condition. Common social activities that most people take for granted, such as smiling, laughing, and kissing, can become unbearable. This dysfunction and pain, and its associated suffering, take a terrible toll on affected individuals, their families, and their friends. Individuals with TMDs often feel stigmatized and invalidated in their experiences by their family, friends, and, often, the health care community. Misjudgments and a failure to understand the nature and depths of TMDs can have severe consequences - more pain and more suffering - for individuals, their families and our society. Temporomandibular Disorders: Priorities for Research and Care calls on a number of stakeholders - across medicine, dentistry, and other fields - to improve the health and well-being of individuals with a TMD. This report addresses the current state of knowledge regarding TMD research, education and training, safety and efficacy of clinical treatments of TMDs, and burden and costs associated with TMDs. The recommendations of Temporomandibular Disorders focus on the actions that many organizations and agencies should take to improve TMD research and care and improve the overall health and well-being of individuals with a TMD.
