The recent advances in Programming Somatic Cell (PSC) including induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) and Induced Neuronal phenotypes (iN), has changed our experimental landscape and opened new possibilities. The advances in PSC have provided an important tool for the study of human neuronal function as well as neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases in live human neurons in a controlled environment. For example, reprogramming cells from patients with neurological diseases allows the study of molecular pathways particular to specific subtypes of neurons such as dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s Disease, Motor neurons for Amyolateral Sclerosis or myelin for Multiple Sclerosis. Detecting disease-specific molecular signatures in live human brain cells, opens possibilities for early intervention therapies and new diagnostic tools. Importantly, once the neurological neural phenotype is detected in vitro, the so-called “disease-in-a-dish” approach allows for the screening of drugs that can ameliorate the disease-specific phenotype. New therapeutic drugs could either act on generalized pathways in all patients or be patient-specific and used in a personalized medicine approach. However, there are a number of pressing issues that need to be addressed and resolved before PSC technology can be extensively used for clinically relevant modeling of neurological diseases. Among these issues are the variability in PSC generation methods, variability between individuals, epigenetic/genetic instability and the ability to obtain disease-relevant subtypes of neurons . Current protocols for differentiating PSC into specific subtypes of neurons are under development, but more and better protocols are needed. Understanding the molecular pathways involved in human neural differentiation will facilitate the development of methods and tools to enrich and monitor the generation of specific subtypes of neurons that would be more relevant in modeling different neurological diseases.

"The aim of this book is to provide the clinician with a comprehensive and clinical relevant survey of emerging concepts on the organization and function of the nervous system and neurologic disease mechanisms, at the molecular, cellular and system levels. The content of is based on the review of information obtained from recent advances in genetic, molecular and cell biology techniques, electrophysiological recordings, brain mapping, and mouse models, emphasizing the clinical and possible therapeutic implications. Many chapters of this book contain information that will be relevant not only clinical neurologists but also to psychiatrists and physical therapists. The scope includes the mechanisms and abnormalities of DNA/RNA metabolism, proteostasis, vesicular biogenesis, and axonal transport and mechanisms of neurodegeneration; the role of the mitochondria in cell function and death mechanisms; ion channels, neurotransmission and mechanisms of channelopathies and synaptopathies; the functions of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia and their involvement in disease; the local circuits and synaptic interactions at the level of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord transmission regulating sensory processing, behavioral state and motor functions; the peripheral and central mechanisms of pain and homeostasis; and networks involved in emotion, memory, language, and executive function"--

This comprehensive textbook seeks to define the full scope of neuroscience. Developed in accordance with results of extensive reviews, the text is divided into seven integrated sections.

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

Age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are characterized by progressive neuroinflammation as well as neuronal degeneration. Apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy are all types of programmed cell death that are morphologically distinct from one another. Over the last decade, extensive research has been conducted on necroptosis, resulting in a better understanding of its molecular underpinnings and role in neurodegenerative diseases. A later study investigates the processes of apoptosis and necroptosis, as well as their roles in the activation of inflammatory immune responses. Although there is a distinct mode of cell death with distinct morphological characteristics, its identification and implications in neurological diseases are still unknown. Interestingly, emerging evidence has established a direct link between epigenetic and posttranslational modifications and neurodegenerative disease. Using epigenetic and proteomic methods, researchers uncovered genes and proteins that may play a function in the area of neuroinflammation, a role that has hitherto been overlooked. New pharmacological targets and therapeutic options for neurodegenerative diseases are being investigated in order to gain a better understanding of the disease's origins and progression by using neuronal death and neuroinflammation models that are associated with epigenetic changes.

This book builds a novel bridge from molecular research to clinical therapy. This approach reveals the functional features of neurons and glia in the particular context of vulnerability and self-protection, intracellular properties and extracellular matrix. Arising from this platform, this volume unfolds the molecular and systemic processes underlying migration disorders, axonal injury, repair and regeneration.