The book provides chapters on sex hormones and their modulation in neurodegenerative processes and pathologies, from basic molecular mechanisms, physiology, gender differences, to neuroprotection and clinical aspects for potential novel pharmacotherapy approaches. The book contains 14 chapters written by authors from various biomedical professions, from basic researchers in biology and physiology to medicine and veterinary medicine, pharmacologists, psychiatrist, etc. Chapters sum up the past and current knowledge on sex hormones, representing original new insights into their role in brain functioning, mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The book is written for a broad range of audience, from biomedical students to highly profiled medical specialists and biomedical researchers, helping them to expand their knowledge on sex hormones in neurodegenerative processes and opening new questions for further investigation.

As clinical trials of pharmacological neuroprotective strategies in stroke have been disappointing, attention has turned to the brain's own endogenous strategies for neuroprotection. Two endogenous mechanisms have been recently characterized, ischemic preconditioning and ischemic postconditioning. In the present topic newly characterized mechanisms involved in preconditioning- and postconditioning- neuroprotection will be discussed. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective pathways induced by preconditioning and postconditioning will be clinically relevant for identifying new druggable target for neurodegenerative disorder therapy. Furthermore, the importance of these neuroprotective strategies resides in that it might be easily translatable into clinical practice. Therefore, the data presented here will highlight the capacity of ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning to be of benefit to humans.

Neurological disease affects nearly 25%–30% of the world’s population, exerting enormous financial strain on the healthcare system. Estimated current costs are around $800 annual billion, and this number is expected to increase exponentially as the global population ages. As such, new and alternative neuroprotective strategies are urgently needed. This book examines some of the most promising approaches in neuroprotection as well as discusses current goals and prospects. Organized into three sections, chapters cover such topics as the use of cannabinoids, medicinal plants, and essential oils in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; protein misfolding and the neuroprotective potential of vitamin E in cerebral ischemia; and potential new neurological treatments and their mechanisms of action.

"Neurodegenerative diseases are a complex heterogeneous group of diseases associated with site-specific premature and slow death of certain neuronal populations in brain and spinal cord tissues. For example, in Alzheimer disease, neuronal degeneration occu"

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by progressive demyelination and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system (CNS), constituting the most common demyelinating disease of the CNS in humans. Although intensive research over many decades has unveiled many pathophysiological mechanisms in the development of MS, the cause is still unknown. Nevertheless, it does seem clear that genetic susceptibility and environmental factors play crucial roles. Trending Topics in Multiple Sclerosis is a book that provides an insight into some of the main problems currently debated in this area of research, focusing on topics that deal with genetic and environmental risk factors, pathophysiological mechanisms, neurocognitive findings, and neuroprotective strategies.

The neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the most common forms of dementia and no pharmacological treatments are to date available for these diseases. Indeed, the only used drugs are symptomatic and no useful to block the progression of the diseases. The lack of a therapeutic approach is also due to a lack of an early diagnosis. This Research Topic describes a new target that is involved in the firs step of these disorders and that can be useful for the treatment and the diagnosis of such pathologies: the cannabinoid receptor subtype 2 or CB2R. Indeed, CB2R is overexpressed in reactive microglia and activated astrocytes during neuroinflammation and thus their detection by PET probes can be an easily strategy for an early diagnosis of neurodegeneration. Moreover, CB2 agonists and inverse agonists displayed neuroprotective effects and they so can be candidated as new therapeutich drugs for the treatment of these pathologies. Therefore, the aim of this Research Topic is to show the great potential of CB2R ligands for the development of new tools/drugs for both the therapy and the diagnosis of neurodegeneration.

European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) supports the collaboration of nationally-funded science and technology research through the creation of networks. COST is the longest-running European framework enhancing cooperation among researchers, engineers and scholars across Europe. The COST Action CM1103 “Structure-based drug design for diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases: dissecting and modulating complex function in the monoaminergic systems of the brain” is a good example of the advances possible through interdisciplinary collaboration on difficult problems. COST Action CM1103 brought together 28 research groups from 18 countries to collaborate for four years on multi-target drug design for complex neuropathologies. The interdisciplinary expertise of the members is spans the range from computational enzymology to human studies, providing outstanding opportunities for the interdisciplinary development of trainees, and is reflected in the articles in this e-book. This Research Topic covers progress in multi-target drug design for the complex neuropathologies of the monoamine system that are apparent, for example, in Alzheimer’s disease. After a mini-review to introduce the topic of multi-target drug design, the other articles review the Research topic from their own perspective, two from computational approaches, three from medicinal chemistry, two from molecular pharmacology, and two from studies in whole brain. This multi-faceted approach describes new compounds, new methodology, and advances in the basic science of understanding the brain. This Ebook is based upon work from COST Action (CM1103 “Structure-based drug design for diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases: dissecting and modulating complex function in the monoaminergic systems of the brain"), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a pan-European intergovernmental framework. Its mission is to enable break-through scientific and technological developments leading to new concepts and products and thereby contribute to strengthening Europe’s research and innovation capacities. It allows researchers, engineers and scholars to jointly develop their own ideas and take new initiatives across all fields of science and technology, while promoting multi- and interdisciplinary approaches. COST aims at fostering a better integration of less research intensive countries to the knowledge hubs of the European Research Area. The COST Association, an International not-for-profit Association under Belgian Law, integrates all management, governing and administrative functions necessary for the operation of the framework. The COST Association has currently 36 Member Countries. www.cost.eu