Immune-mediated neurological diseases are a spectrum of neurologic disorders in which the immune system deploys against one or more molecules that belong to the central or peripheral nervous system. In addition to these immunological factors, the complex pathophysiology of these diseases also involves genetic, environmental, microbiome, and potentially other components. These diseases can affect the brain, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia and axons, nerve roots, plexuses, peripheral nerves, small nerve fibers, neuromuscular junctions, or muscle fibers. Immune-mediated diseases include multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, acute demyelinating encephalopathy multifocal, transverse myelitis, vasculitis, autoimmune encephalitis, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, paraneoplastic syndromes, inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathies, immune-mediated neuropathies, systemic immune-mediated disorders with neurologic manifestations, autoimmune sensory ganglionopathy, brachial plexitis, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory and autoimmune myopathies, among others.
An early diagnosis of these diseases is regarded as fundamentally important to initiate as soon as possible, as immunologic therapy will minimize irreversible neuronal loss and severe neurological symptoms, but also increase the likelihood of clinical response to therapy, which results in betterment in their quality of life. The development of new techniques of diagnosis represents a rapidly evolving area of medicine and is crucial to better comprehend the intricate molecular immune-mediated mechanisms underlying these CNS disorders previously considered idiopathic. Therefore, research focused on the in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these diseases and the expanding studies of newly identified biomarkers may support the characterization and diagnosis of these diseases, and, consequently, increase the chances of treatment.
OMICS technologies represent a powerful novel approach to provide non-invasive and readily available biomarkers in the early phases of disease that would help in the differential diagnosis of these diseases. Moreover, this rapidly-developing field, omics, can empower us to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat all of these diseases.
This article collection aims to shed new light on the applications of OMICS technologies in the search for new prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers, new therapeutic strategies, and in deepening the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in immune-mediated neurological diseases.
We welcome the submission of Original Research articles, Reviews, and Mini-reviews focusing on, but not limited to: Applications of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, immunome, and metabolomics, among others, which elucidate DNA markers, RNA transcripts, protein, and, metabolites, for diagnosis and new treatment development, as well as, for the increase in the knowledge of the immune-mediated neurological diseases pathogenesis.
This can include, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Identification of miRNA, cirRNA, and lncRNA for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of immune-mediated disease.
• Regulation of RNAs for disease control and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
• Determination of proteins and metabolites that participate in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated neurological diseases.
• The role of the immunome in the discovery of disease-associated biomarkers.
• Molecular mechanisms underlying interactions between immune and neural cells.
Immune-mediated neurological diseases are a spectrum of neurologic disorders in which the immune system deploys against one or more molecules that belong to the central or peripheral nervous system. In addition to these immunological factors, the complex pathophysiology of these diseases also involves genetic, environmental, microbiome, and potentially other components. These diseases can affect the brain, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia and axons, nerve roots, plexuses, peripheral nerves, small nerve fibers, neuromuscular junctions, or muscle fibers. Immune-mediated diseases include multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, acute demyelinating encephalopathy multifocal, transverse myelitis, vasculitis, autoimmune encephalitis, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, paraneoplastic syndromes, inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathies, immune-mediated neuropathies, systemic immune-mediated disorders with neurologic manifestations, autoimmune sensory ganglionopathy, brachial plexitis, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory and autoimmune myopathies, among others.
An early diagnosis of these diseases is regarded as fundamentally important to initiate as soon as possible, as immunologic therapy will minimize irreversible neuronal loss and severe neurological symptoms, but also increase the likelihood of clinical response to therapy, which results in betterment in their quality of life. The development of new techniques of diagnosis represents a rapidly evolving area of medicine and is crucial to better comprehend the intricate molecular immune-mediated mechanisms underlying these CNS disorders previously considered idiopathic. Therefore, research focused on the in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these diseases and the expanding studies of newly identified biomarkers may support the characterization and diagnosis of these diseases, and, consequently, increase the chances of treatment.
OMICS technologies represent a powerful novel approach to provide non-invasive and readily available biomarkers in the early phases of disease that would help in the differential diagnosis of these diseases. Moreover, this rapidly-developing field, omics, can empower us to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat all of these diseases.
This article collection aims to shed new light on the applications of OMICS technologies in the search for new prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers, new therapeutic strategies, and in deepening the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in immune-mediated neurological diseases.
We welcome the submission of Original Research articles, Reviews, and Mini-reviews focusing on, but not limited to: Applications of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, immunome, and metabolomics, among others, which elucidate DNA markers, RNA transcripts, protein, and, metabolites, for diagnosis and new treatment development, as well as, for the increase in the knowledge of the immune-mediated neurological diseases pathogenesis.
This can include, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Identification of miRNA, cirRNA, and lncRNA for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of immune-mediated disease.
• Regulation of RNAs for disease control and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
• Determination of proteins and metabolites that participate in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated neurological diseases.
• The role of the immunome in the discovery of disease-associated biomarkers.
• Molecular mechanisms underlying interactions between immune and neural cells.