Cadmium Toxicity in Living Organisms

Dear Colleagues,

Heavy metals are highly toxic environmental pollutants contaminating almost all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, representing a health threat at all levels of the food chain. In recent decades, increasing attention has been directed to their effect on their accumulation in living organisms. Metal concentrations have been measured in plants, with Cadmium (Cd) being the most ubiquitous. Due to this, its effects have been extensively studied.

Evidence indicates that Cd induces many adverse effects primarily related to generating free radicals, consequently affecting cell structure and functionality.

It is known that Cd alters the gene expression, which affects the cell cycle, triggering proliferation and/or a cell death-like apoptotic process.

This Special Issue focuses on all aspects of the mechanisms triggered by cadmium toxicity in different model systems, in invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, adults, and embryos of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, focusing on histopathological and molecular biology aspects. The Special Issue will include studies that provide an increased understanding of the effects of cadmium toxicity on the behavior and fitness in the two model systems to highlight the eco-toxicological effects. The alteration in the target tissues directly or not exposed to contaminant (e.g., respiratory apparatus, skin, eyes) and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of crucial cellular processes, such as cell cycle and proliferation, cell death, oxidative stress and autophagy, cytoprotective and inflammatory responses, differentiation and teratogenic effects, and developmental delays in embryo in cleidoic and non-cleidoic eggs after cadmium exposure, are investigated through morphological, cytochemical, and biochemical approaches. Determination of Cd toxicity effects can also be considered in combination with other xenobiotics of environmental pollution and temperature variations in consideration of the current climate change scenario in both embryos and adults in the two model systems. This Special Issue aims to improve and increase the number of strategies to reduce metal contamination, a crucial aspect of recovering and defending ecosystems and will publish original research articles and comprehensive reviews.

Prof. Dr. Palma Simoniello
Dr. Luigi Rosati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cadmium toxicity
• teleosts
• in vivo and in vitro experiments
• reptilian
• embryotoxicity
• cell and tissue toxicology
• up- and downregulation of gene expression
• molecular mechanisms
• cytoprotective response
• cell cycle alteration
• cell death
• oxidative stress
• autophagy
• inflammatory response
• climate change