The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is an intercellular communication system distributed throughout the organism and its function is related to the maintenance of the homeostatic balance of the body. Its presence in the central nervous system (CNS) is particularly relevant because it can modulate the synaptic function through CB1 receptors located in neurons. Therefore, the ECS participates in important physiological processes such as: movement control, cognitive processes like memory and learning, control of food intake and appetite, emetic regulation, nociceptive control, neuronal hyperexcitability, cell fate regulation, neuronal survival, thermoregulation, neurogenesis, and neuroendocrine regulation, among others.
Many neurological (psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, neuropathic and inflammatory pain) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease or spinocerebellar ataxias) do not have effective treatments that reduce the progression of these disorders yet, so it is necessary to search for new therapies to revert or even prevent these harmful effects.
Cannabinoid-based drugs are currently used as treatment for the relief of specific symptoms of some neurological pathologies. However, the alterations in the ECS observed in many of the neurological pathologies and the ability of cannabinoid compounds to reduce the pathogenic processes common in these diseases demonstrate that the ECS can be a good therapeutic target, which leads to the emergence of cannabinoids as a pharmacological hope. In this sense, it is known that cannabinoids are neuroprotective compounds, so a treatment that targets the ECS can improve the symptoms of these disorders but also stop the progression of the disease. For these reasons, the study of the ECS modulation as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these pathologies has become of high interest.
We encourage researchers to contribute with original research or review articles about the latest advances in the development of novel cannabinoid-based drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders. We are particularly interested in medicinal chemistry and computational approaches for the identification of novel compounds which act on the ECS. Pharmacological studies using cannabinoids or compounds acting on related targets (both in preclinical and in clinical studies) in CNS disorders also fall within the scope of this Research Topic.
We are specifically seeking articles focused on the following topics:
• Endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-like mediators
• Endocannabinoid metabolism enzymes
• Canonical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2)
• Other endocannabinoidome receptors such as: transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-? (PPAR?) or orphan GPCRs such as GPR55 or GPR18.
• Phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids
We would like to thank Javier Rubio Serrano for designing the Research Topic image.
The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is an intercellular communication system distributed throughout the organism and its function is related to the maintenance of the homeostatic balance of the body. Its presence in the central nervous system (CNS) is particularly relevant because it can modulate the synaptic function through CB1 receptors located in neurons. Therefore, the ECS participates in important physiological processes such as: movement control, cognitive processes like memory and learning, control of food intake and appetite, emetic regulation, nociceptive control, neuronal hyperexcitability, cell fate regulation, neuronal survival, thermoregulation, neurogenesis, and neuroendocrine regulation, among others.
Many neurological (psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, neuropathic and inflammatory pain) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease or spinocerebellar ataxias) do not have effective treatments that reduce the progression of these disorders yet, so it is necessary to search for new therapies to revert or even prevent these harmful effects.
Cannabinoid-based drugs are currently used as treatment for the relief of specific symptoms of some neurological pathologies. However, the alterations in the ECS observed in many of the neurological pathologies and the ability of cannabinoid compounds to reduce the pathogenic processes common in these diseases demonstrate that the ECS can be a good therapeutic target, which leads to the emergence of cannabinoids as a pharmacological hope. In this sense, it is known that cannabinoids are neuroprotective compounds, so a treatment that targets the ECS can improve the symptoms of these disorders but also stop the progression of the disease. For these reasons, the study of the ECS modulation as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these pathologies has become of high interest.
We encourage researchers to contribute with original research or review articles about the latest advances in the development of novel cannabinoid-based drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders. We are particularly interested in medicinal chemistry and computational approaches for the identification of novel compounds which act on the ECS. Pharmacological studies using cannabinoids or compounds acting on related targets (both in preclinical and in clinical studies) in CNS disorders also fall within the scope of this Research Topic.
We are specifically seeking articles focused on the following topics:
• Endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-like mediators
• Endocannabinoid metabolism enzymes
• Canonical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2)
• Other endocannabinoidome receptors such as: transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-? (PPAR?) or orphan GPCRs such as GPR55 or GPR18.
• Phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids
We would like to thank Javier Rubio Serrano for designing the Research Topic image.