Marine Drugs

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Romulo Aráoz

CNRS National Center for Disabled Scientific Research, Paris, France
Interests: neurotoxin discovery & characterization; mode of action of marine neurotoxins; nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; in-vitro electrophysiology; cyclic imine toxins; cyanobacterial neurotoxins; drug discovery & drug design; method development for neurotoxin detection
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine organisms are interesting sources of never-ending original bioactive compounds fueled by the emergence and on-going evolution of biosynthetic pathways in secondary metabolism and metabolic transformations in hosting organisms. As the population grows older, neurodegenerative disorders become the most important issue for public health. Marine bioactive compounds with potential applications on sensitive targets related to neurodegenerative disorders are the subject of this Special Issue of Marine Drugs. The pharmacological R&D for neurodegenerative diseases is highly developed, but the pharmacopeia is scarce given the multifactorial etiology of these neurodegenerative disorders. That is, of the four FDA-approved front-line drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in 2017, three are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, one inhibits NMDA receptors, and two act on α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This Special Issue will cover small alkaloids, polyketides to large peptides that even if not crossing the blood–brain barrier under normal conditions may constitute an alternative given their high affinities and easer bioengineering. Diverse marine sources of bioactive molecules ranging from picoplankton to green algae, from sponges, cnidarians, mollusks, to invertebrates and marine vertebrates, will be considered. Original articles and mini-reviews are welcome.

Dr. Romulo Aráoz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

marine natural products
drug discovery & mode of action
neurodegenerative diseases
cholinergic triad (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, acetylcholinesterase)
marine neurotoxins
marine neurotoxins directed against CNS targets involved in neurodegenerative diseases
neurotoxins from marine phytoplankton (dinoflagellates, diatoms, cyanobacteria)
secondary metabolites and neurodegenerative disorders

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fucoidan Suppresses Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Cell Death against 1-Methyl-4-Phenylpyridinum-Induced Neuronal Cytotoxicity via Regulation of PGC-1α Expression

by Yong-Seok Han, Jun Hee Lee and Sang Hun Lee

Mar. Drugs 2019, 17(9), 518; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/md17090518 - 02 Sep 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3529

Abstract

Mitochondria are considered to be the powerhouses of cells. They are the most commonly damaged organelles within dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Despite the importance of protecting neuronal mitochondria in PD patients, the detailed mechanisms underlying mitochondrial dysfunction during pathogenesis and pathophysiological progression of PD have not yet been elucidated. We investigated the protective action of fucoidan against the detrimental action of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP⁺), a neurotoxin used to model PD, in the mitochondria of SH-SY5Y neural cells. Fucoidan increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) and protected the cells from MPP⁺-induced apoptosis by upregulating the 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-PGC-1α axis. These effects were blocked by the silencing of the PGC-1α axis. These results indicated that fucoidan protects SH-SY5Y cells from mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death caused by MPP⁺ treatment, via the AMPK-PGC-1α axis. These findings also suggest that fucoidan could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for PD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Compounds with Potential Applications on Targets of CNS Associated with Neurodegenerative Disorders)

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Review

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20 pages, 2662 KiB

Open AccessReview

Marine-Derived Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

by Chunhui Huang, Zaijun Zhang and Wei Cui

Mar. Drugs 2019, 17(4), 221; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/md17040221 - 11 Apr 2019

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7370

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to the motor dysfunctions of patients. Although the etiology of PD is still unclear, the death of dopaminergic neurons during PD progress was revealed to be associated with the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein, the elevation of oxidative stress, the dysfunction of mitochondrial functions, and the increase of neuroinflammation. However, current anti-PD therapies could only produce symptom-relieving effects, because they could not provide neuroprotective effects, stop or delay the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Marine-derived natural compounds, with their novel chemical structures and unique biological activities, may provide anti-PD neuroprotective effects. In this study, we have summarized anti-PD marine-derived natural products which have shown pharmacological activities by acting on various PD targets, such as α-synuclein, monoamine oxidase B, and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, marine-derived natural compounds currently evaluated in the clinical trials for the treatment of PD are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Compounds with Potential Applications on Targets of CNS Associated with Neurodegenerative Disorders)

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