Nucleic Acid Immunity in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Clinical to Molecular Insights

  • 153

    Total views and downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 25 September 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 13 January 2026

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

Background

Nucleic acid immunity involves a sophisticated set of mechanisms for identifying nucleic acids by immune receptors, playing a vital role in physiological processes. This system's dysfunction can impair innate immune functions and lead to immunosenescence. Recently, an expanding range of research has linked the elements of nucleic acid immunity to neurodegenerative diseases. Sensors like cGAS and the oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) protein family, which detect cytosolic nucleic acids, have been found to affect the molecular processes in central nervous system diseases, such as neurodegenerative dementia and multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, nucleic acid homeostasis mechanisms, exemplified by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins, contribute to immune sensing and modulation, which are central to neurodegeneration. These findings offer new insights into longstanding questions about the role of infection and innate immunity in neurodegenerative diseases and suggest that immune processes related to nucleic acid homeostasis are critical, beyond mere gene product dysfunction.

This Research Topic aims to investigate the observational and mechanistic sides of nucleic acid immunity and its impact on neurodegeneration. Our goal is to uncover how these immune system components influence the onset and progression of neurodegenerative illnesses, potentially leading to innovative therapeutic approaches and reshaping our understanding of these diseases by highlighting their immune-related aspects.

To gather further insights into the complex interactions between nucleic acid immunity and neurodegeneration, we welcome submissions across a diverse range of manuscript types supported by the journal (including Original Research, Reviews, Brief Research Reports, Perspectives, Protocols, Mini-Review, etc.). These manuscripts should explore, but not be limited to, the following themes:
- Clinical research and genetic population studies exploring nucleic acid immunity and neurodegenerative diseases or brain aging
- DNA and RNA sensors, inflammasomes, and neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative diseases
- The interplay between nucleic acid immune receptors, DNA damage response, aging, and age-associated neurological diseases.
- The relationship between humoral immune responses to nucleic acid antigens and neurological diseases.
- Circulating immunological biomarkers related to nucleic acids and neurodegeneration
- Interferon signaling and neurotoxicity, and the roles of exosomes in intercellular communication
- General immune receptors and tools (Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), CRISPR) and neurodegenerative diseases
- cGAS-STING pathway and neuroinflammation
- Computational biology studies modeling new mechanisms and interactions, predicting the consequences of aberrant nucleic acid immunity

Articles accepted after peer review will be published and appear online as soon as approved for publication.

Sign up now to participate in this exciting Research Topic.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Clinical Trial
  • Editorial
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Keywords: RNA, exosomes, neurodegeneration, immunity, immune response, multiple sclerosis, omics

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Impact

  • 153Topic views
View impact