Dear Colleagues,

Decades of research have identified genetic and environmental factors that are involved in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and certain neuropsychiatric disorders. Genomic instability, which can be defined as single-nucleotide changes, insertions/deletions, and gross chromosomal aberrations, is a common feature not only of cancer, but also of certain premature aging and inherited as well as sporadic neurodegenerative (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease) and psychiatric disorders (bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia). Persistent DNA damage, a driver of genomic instability, typically involves the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) that ensures genomic and proteomic homeostasis in both dividing brain cells and post-mitotic neurons. Failure to repair or resolve excessive genomic stress can lead to cell death or senescence, end points that contribute to the progressive pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and the development of certain psychiatric disorders. Recent clinical, genomic, and other molecular studies have uncovered evidence linking DNA damage and the dysregulation of DDR or DNA repair mechanisms with both neurodegenerative and certain psychiatric disorders.

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the emerging evidence for DDR, in aging and following environmental stressors, in both neurodegenerative disease and neuropsychiatric disorders. We welcome submissions, including original papers and reviews, on (i) genotoxin exposures in the development of neurological disorders, (ii) methods to assess DNA damage and repair in neural cell types, including at the genome-wide level, (iii) molecular processes related to genomic stability that preserve CNS homeostasis and functionality, and (iv) the effects of aging on neurological disease risk.

Prof. Glen E. Kisby
Prof. Peter S. Spencer
Prof. Dr. David M Wilson III
Guest Editors

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• genomic instability
• DNA damage
• DNA damage response (DDR)
• DNA repair
• apoptosis
• cellular senescence
• aging
• neurodegeneration
• psychiatric disorders