Dear Colleagues,

Growth factors are proteins able to stimulate the growth of specific tissues. Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) include three families of growth factors: the NGF family or neurotrophins (NTs), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) ligand binding, and a heterogeneous group of molecules that belong to the cytokine family. It has been demonstrated that neurotrophic factors regulate some cellular processes and adverse conditions, such as antigen activation and inflammatory infiltration during neurodegenerative diseases, and induce an increase in NT secretion during the demyelinating process.

Stem cells (SCs) are self-renewing cells that can differentiate into specialized cell types. Over the last two decades, the effort of many researchers has been concentrated on the study of the biological properties of SCs and their feasibility in the treatment of specific diseases. A huge amount of literature has been brought forth concerning the use of SCs in an attempt to “treat” neurodegenerative diseases using cell-based therapy (CBT) with SCs (e.g., ESCs, iPSCs, MSCs, and NSCs) based on the growth and neurotrophic factors that these cells release when they are in a specific pathological environment in which regeneration is required.

Therefore, the effect of NTs on neurodegenerative diseases can be of benefit.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by diffused inflammation and demyelination that leads to neuronal, glial, and axonal damage accompanied by nerve fiber demyelination. NTs play an important role in neural regeneration and remyelination.

Neurogenesis is enhanced in hypoxic/ischemic injured brain. Growth factors, which are known to regulate such cellular processes as proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis, but also apoptosis and inflammation, are increasingly expressed following exposure to HI and support neurogenesis. Stimulation of neurogenesis by exogenous administration of neurotrophic factors has been considered as an attempt to treat neonatal brain injury.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, there is no cure or disease-modifying treatment available. Thus, strategies to preserve and restore neurological function in PD patients are crucial. The efficacy of NTF treatment and CBT therapeutic approaches has been described in preclinical models.

NTs have been used in many experimental approaches to improve the function of the injured spinal cord. Moreover, NTs have also been shown to affect the physiology of cells and synapses in the spinal cord, assigning NTs a role in promoting recovery after spinal cord injury from both a structural and functional perspective.

The focus of this special issue is to further understand the etiology of CNS diseases and the biology of diseased cells and to go deeper into the mechanisms through which growth and neurotrophic factors act to repair damage. Special attention should be paid to developing pharmacological and CBT strategies to treat the specific disease in the most effective fashion. 

As the Guest Editor of this Special Issue “Effects of Neurotrophic Factors”,  I kindly ask you to contribute to this special issue. I thank you in advance for your interest and for furthering the science in this field.

Dr. Mercedes Fernandez
Guest Editor

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• growth and neurotrophic factor
• stem cells
• neuroinflammation
• neurodegeneration