Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease are debilitating neurodegenerative disorders with great unmet medical needs. Although these diseases affect different areas of the brain and have distinct clinical presentations, they are all marked by the aggregation of misfolded proteins. Aided by the recent biological and technical advancement, much progress has been made on understanding the genetic, molecular and neuropathological underpinnings. While neuronal dysfunction and loss dictate the clinical symptoms, it is now appreciated that other cell types, such as astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, cells of the vascular system and, indeed, peripheral immune cells, also play important roles at various stages of the disease process. Thus, a hypothesis is emerging that these diseases are systemic disorders, and may be impacted by malfunction of central and peripheral tissues or organs. Further investigation of the cell-intrinsic mechanisms and cell-cell communications will undoubtedly facilitate a deeper understanding of the disease pathogenesis and identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention.
This series new addresses various aspects of neurodegenerative diseases including, but not limited to:
- Intracellular trafficking and signaling pathways
- Neuron-glia interactions
- Innate immunity and neuroinflammation
- Role of the blood-brain barrier and vascular system
- Role of peripheral immune cells
- Influence of aging in age-related neurodegenerative diseases
Series Editors:
Hui Zheng, Baylor College of Medicine
Lin Mei, Case Western Reserve University
