Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is one of the shared prominent hallmarks among various forms of neurodegeneration. Depending on the milieu in which microglia become activated, the polarization of microglia shows to be heterogeneous with diverse functional phenotypes that range from pro-inflammatory phenotypes to immunosuppressive phenotypes. Therefore, targeting microglial polarization holds great promise for the treatment of neurodegeneration. This eBook focuses on the potential mechanisms of microglial polarization that are critically associated with a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD), Traumatic brain injury (TBI), glaucomatous neurodegeneration and prion diseases. This topic also involves the therapeutic targeting of microglial polarization by nutritional and pharmacological modulators. Moreover, this topic describes advanced technologies employed for studying microglia. Age-related changes in microglia functions are also discussed. Overall, this eBook provides comprehensive understandings of microglial polarization in the course of neurodegeneration, linking with aging-related microglial alterations and technologies developed for microglial studies. Hopefully, it will also give comprehensive insights into various aspects of therapeutic treatment for neurodegeneration, through targeting microglial polarization.

Ageing is the main reason for most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). About 10% of individuals aged ≥65 years develop AD, which continuously increases with growing age. Medicinal plants have been used for age-related neurodegenerative disorders for a long time. These plants are rich in terms of various phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, sterols, alkaloids, saponins, and terpenoids. Different scientific studies have been carried out on these medicinal herbs, e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuro-regenerative activities that may be used in the treatment of AD and other age-related diseases. These medicinal plants, e.g., Curcuma longa, Bacopa monniera, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Commiphora whighitti, and Acorus calamus L., have anti-inflammatory properties that may decrease swelling of the brain tissue in AD. Despite this, there is currently no book available in the market that provides full information on the phytochemical and medicinal uses of the medicinal plants exclusively used for the management of neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. This book aims to provide some important and evidence-based information on the plants used for neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly, especially AD and PD, in a planned manner so the academicians, researchers, and students working in the fields of medicinal plants, plant science, chemistry, biotechnology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, and many other interdisciplinary subjects may benefit. This book will also be useful in identifying a few medicinal plants and their prospects for the synthesis or preparation of new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Features: · An overview of the medicinal plants that can be helpful for neurodegenerative disorders. · Recent research results and some pointers for the management of neurodegenerative diseases. This book serve as comprehensive information about the description, phytochemistry, actions, and medicinal use of plants that are used in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this book will also ease the understanding and interaction of medicinal plants used in neurodegenerative diseases.

This book reviews the role of glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendroglia, satellite cells, and Schwann cells) in neuronal health and diseases. It discusses the latest advances in understanding their origin, differentiation, and hemostasis. The book also examines the role of microglial cells in central nervous system (CNS) development, maintenance, and synaptic plasticity. Further, the book presents the functions of astrocytes in healthy CNS and their critical role in CNS disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Notably, the book describes the pathobiology, molecular pathogenesis, stem cells, and imaging characteristics of gliomas. It defines the role of glial cells in regulating iron homeostasis and their effect on the neurodegeneration of neurons. Lastly, it covers the structure, function, and pathology of oligodendrocytes and their role in neuronal health and disease. ​

Neuroglia is now published as part of Brain Sciences with a new section Editor-in-Chief Prof. Sergey Kasparov.

This edited volume studies gut microbiota peculiarities in elderly, in senescence-related and environmental-related alterations of gut microbiota in chronic diseases. Aging, as a physiological process mediated through several regulatory pathways and transcription factors, is generally speaking associated to a relentless functional decline and increasing risk of chronic diseases. Growing data on gut microbiota quali-quantitative changes in aging gut, and the opportunity to study by advanced NGS and metabolomic technologies, now offers novel horizons to link such changes to disease risks and to theoretically the weapons for gut microbiota intervention as an effective therapeutic tool. Chapters are divided into clear sections, starting with the aging perspective, then moving from chronic diseases to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. The final parts focusses on interventions. Contributors are well-reputed and dedicated scientists in clinics and experimental medicine from 4 different continents who have provided their contribution keeping the polar star on aging as a guide while investigating their gut microbiota in occurrence and progression of disease together with proposed preventing, monitoring and therapeutic interventions. In the wide offer of books on gut microbiota, this age-thematic volume will be a valuable source of updated information for a wide group of readership including gerontologists, geriatricians, medical specialists of several fields, PhDs, basic scientists and public/private research entities focused on potential intervention in and through gut ecosystem. This book will stimulate a large number of basic scientists and clinicians to review their once organ (or cellular line)-specific knowledge and widen either their pathophysiological mechanisms understanding while providing novel ways to prevent, monitor and treat diseases from eyes to bones.

The systemic inflammatory response is evident in inflammatory diseases, and the immune system secretes many cytokines involved, resulting in a robust immune response. For example, the pathogenesis of sepsis includes abnormal immune cell activation in the early stages as well as sepsis-related immunosuppression. During the immunosuppressive phase, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Th17 cells, and γδ T cells are reduced while regulatory T cells increase. At the same time, T lymphocytes and neutrophils, as immune effector cells, interact with each other and play a key role in regulating the immune response to immune-inflammatory diseases. The increased release of neutrophil extracellular trap networks (NETs) by neutrophils leads to a significant upregulation of NETs-DNA-MPO, which further aggravates the septic inflammatory response and organ functional impairment. Therefore, it is important to deeply investigate the characteristic clinical immune phenotypes and molecular mechanisms associated with inflammatory diseases, and targeting therapies against them may provide new ideas for the precise treatment of diseases.