• Special Issue Topic

    Cholesterol Dyshomeostasis in Neurological Diseases

    Submission Deadline: September 30, 2021

    Guest Editors

    Dr. Ta-Yuan Chang E-Mail

    Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

    Research Keywords: cholesterol metabolism; membrane proteins; Alzheimer's disease; NPC disease; Vascular dementia


    Dr. Catherine Chang E-Mail

    Principal Research Scientist, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

    Research Keywords: cholesterol metabolism; structure and function analysis of ACAT/SOAT; membrane proteins; Alzheimer's disease; NPC disease


    About the Special Issue

    Cholesterol is a lipid molecule that is essential to the structure and function of biological membranes, as well as the growth and maintenance of all mammalian cells. The metabolites of cholesterol, including oxysterols, neurosteroids, and bile acids, play important regulatory roles in mammalian physiology. Increasing evidence implicates the involvement of cholesterol dyshomeostasis in diverse neurological diseases, including Alzheimer disease, autism, Huntington disease, multiple sclerosis, Niemann-Pick type C disease, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, and vascular dementia. The mechanistic connections between cholesterol and the pathophysiology of these diseases, are as yet inadequately understood.

    To stimulate research in this burgeoning area, we are organizing a special issue of the Journal, entitled “Cholesterol Dyshomeostasis in Neurological Diseases,” that will contain 6 to 10 invited reviews written by leading scientists in the relevant research fields. We are also soliciting additional relevant manuscripts that describe original research, meta-analysis, commentary, or editorial. Manuscripts that address the following areas will be particularly welcome: roles of cholesterol or its metabolites in the brain; brain-penetrating agents to facilitate CNS cholesterol homeostasis; and neurological alterations caused by cholesterol imbalance in the CNS or by hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

    The deadline for manuscript submission is September 30th, 2021. Each qualified manuscript will undergo prompt and thorough peer-review. The published issue will receive wide promotion by the Journal to the international scientific community. The goal of this special issue is ultimately to stimulate the discovery and development of novel, cholesterol-related neuroprotective therapies by scientists working in the basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience arenas. This issue can also be used as a timely resource for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows entering the field of neurodegeneration research.

    Keywords: cholesterol; membranes; neuroscience; neuroprotective therapies; neurological disease

    Published Articles

    Open Access
    Review
    Balancing cholesterol in the brain: from synthesis to disposal
    The cholesterol is a vital component of cell membranes and myelin sheaths, and a precursor for essential molecules such as steroid hormones. In humans, cholesterol is partially obtained through the  [...] Read more.
    Lydia Qian ... Andrew J. Brown
    Published: January 05, 2022 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2022;2:1–27
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2022.00015
    View:5321
    Download:283
    Open Access
    Review
    Blocking cholesterol storage to treat Alzheimer’s disease
    Cholesterol serves as an essential lipid molecule in various membrane organelles of mammalian cells. The metabolites of cholesterol also play important functions. Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltr [...] Read more.
    Ta Yuan Chang ... James G. Gow
    Published: December 30, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:173–184
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00014
    Open Access
    Review
    Targeting cytochrome P450 46A1 and brain cholesterol 24-hydroxylation to treat neurodegenerative diseases
    The brain cholesterol content is determined by the balance between the pathways of in situ biosynthesis and cholesterol elimination via 24-hydroxylation catalyzed by cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1).  [...] Read more.
    Irina A. Pikuleva
    Published: December 30, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:159–172
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00013
    View:2083
    Download:86
    Open Access
    Review
    Advancing diagnosis and treatment of Niemann-Pick C disease through biomarker discovery
    Niemann-Pick C disease is a rare neurodegenerative, lysosomal storage disease caused by accumulation of unesterified cholesterol. Diagnosis of the disease is often delayed due to its rarity, the het [...] Read more.
    Xuntian Jiang, Daniel S. Ory
    Published: December 30, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:146–158
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00012
    View:1884
    Download:85
    Open Access
    Review
    Peroxisomes in intracellular cholesterol transport: from basic physiology to brain pathology
    Peroxisomes are actively involved in the metabolism of various lipids including fatty acids, ether phospholipids, bile acids as well as the processing of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Recent [...] Read more.
    Jian Xiao ... Jie Luo
    Published: December 30, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:127–145
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00011
    View:2744
    Download:124
    Open Access
    Review
    Striking a balance: PIP2 and PIP3 signaling in neuronal health and disease
    Phosphoinositides are membrane phospholipids involved in a variety of cellular processes like growth, development, metabolism, and transport. This review focuses on the maintenance of cellular homeo [...] Read more.
    Kamran Tariq, Bryan W. Luikart
    Published: October 29, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:86–110
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00008
    View:5512
    Download:267
    Open Access
    Review
    Cholesterol in autism spectrum disorders
    The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a series of neurological diseases that share serious alterations of the development of the central nervous system. The degree of disability may vary so t [...] Read more.
    Rafael Franco ... Irene Reyes-Resina
    Published: August 05, 2021 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2021;1:10–18
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2021.00003
    View:3314
    Download:99
    Times Cited: 0