Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease 2012
1Department of Neuroscience for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
2Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
3Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857
Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease 2012
Description
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders and is characterized by age-dependent dysfunction and degeneration of the midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of PD has progressed with neurotoxin-induced PD model animals. Moreover, recent advances in human molecular genetics have led to the identification of several familial PD genes, including α-synuclein, parkin, PINK1, DJ-1, LRRK2, and ATP13A2. Analyses of model animals, in which mutations of these PD genes are introduced, promise to shed lights on the pathogenic mechanism underlying idiopathic PD as well as familial PD.
We particularly take an interest in manuscripts that report the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, therapeutic challenges using model animals, development of new screening methods, and generation of new PD models. High-quality research articles related to the topic and reviews to summarize the most recent progresses are welcome. Moreover, papers dealing with new methods to detect degeneration of dopaminergic neurons as well as other cells would be of great interest. Main topics include, but are not limited to:
- PD studies using vertebrate models
- PD studies using invertebrate models
- PD studies using other organisms
- Drug screening using PD model organisms
- Development of therapeutic strategies using PD model organisms
- Development of experimental techniques
Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/pd/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: