Dear Colleagues,

The central nervous system (CNS) is one of the organs that must be above all preserved in order to avoid dramatic outcome. The blood brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical role for brain protection. Nevertheless, brain tissue mostly represents a mosaic of different sub-regions rather than a real organ and as a consequence can react in various ways to pathogenic effects despite the role of the BBB. Comparing with other organs, the scientific knowledge concerning CNS is very recent and numerous cellular and molecular mechanisms in nervous circuits are still unclear especially in case of environmental influence. Beside the CNS, peripheric nerves are also subjected to external factors. Among factors that putatively modulate neuronal functions, environmental factors represent a large family of compounds crossing the BBB and influencing both neurons and glial cells dynamics. Thus, since a few decades, pollutants and nutritional imbalance are increasing with dramatic consequences on gene expression, signal transduction, molecular pathways, metabolism and synaptic functioning. Recent findings have highlighted the impact of various environmental factors on neurodegenerative pathologies and psychiatric disorders. The elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in such deregulations of nervous tissues could lead to propose therapeutic targets for unsolved current nervous dysfunctions.

This special issue encourages the submission of original research articles, short communications or reviews related to the above presented topics. In particular, studies concerning the functioning of either neurons and glial cells in terms of genes expression, molecular pathways, external signals reception and molecular basis of behaviors, under the influence of pollutants or nutritional factors, are welcome.

Dr. Grégory Pourié
Guest Editor

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• environmental factors
• toxicology
• nutrition
• brain
• peripheric nerves
• neuron-glia crosstalk
• molecular actors