Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.9
Journals
Biomedicines
Special Issues
Advances in Atherosclerosis: From Pathogenesis to Diagnostics and Targeted Therapies
share announcement

Advances in Atherosclerosis: From Pathogenesis to Diagnostics and Targeted Therapies

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 797

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Daniel Petroviĉ

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: atherosclerosis; diagnostic imaging modalities; GWAS; multi-omics; biomarkers; polygenic risk scores; genetically informed therapeutic strategies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ana Peterlin

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: genomics; clinical genetic; medical genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that advance the understanding of the genetic and molecular pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and contribute to the development of improved diagnostic approaches, including those integrating information on molecular pathogenesis with diagnostic imaging modalities, as well as innovative therapeutic strategies. Submissions addressing monogenic disorders that confer atherosclerotic risk are encouraged, as are studies employing large-scale or imaging-based genome-wide association analyses to identify common variants and further delineate the polygenic architecture of the disease. Investigations involving the development, validation, and clinical implementation of polygenic risk scores are likewise of interest. Research utilizing functional genomics, fine-mapping, single-cell or spatial transcriptomics, or proteogenomic methodologies to elucidate the molecular consequences of noncoding risk loci and their linkage to specific cell types or regulatory pathways is particularly welcome.

Studies focused on genetic and molecular biomarkers, including miRNAs, lncRNAs, epigenetic modifications, and proteomic signatures associated with plaque burden, vulnerability, or clinical outcomes, also fall within the scope of this Special Issue. In addition, we seek contributions on therapeutic strategies informed by genetic discoveries, encompassing lipid-lowering gene therapies, RNA-based interventions, and genome-editing approaches targeting key atherogenic pathways.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Petroviĉ
Dr. Ana Peterlin
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Biomedicines 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.

Keywords

  • atherosclerosis
  • molecular pathogenesis
  • diagnostic imaging modalities
  • biomarkers

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 1766 KB  
Article
CT-Based Thymic Morphology as an Imaging Surrogate of Immune Ageing and Its Association with Coronary Artery Calcification—A Hypothesis-Generating Observational Study
by Isabella Luisa Walther, Karim Mostafa, Agreen Horr, Sandra Freitag-Wolf, Hatim Seoudy, Oliver J. Müller, Sarah Krutmann, Olav Jansen and Patrick Langguth
Biomedicines 2026, 14(4), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14040883 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 564
Abstract
Purpose: Thymic involution, a hallmark of immune ageing, is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation (“inflammaging”) and has been implicated in age-associated inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis. This study aimed to evaluate the association between persistent thymus and coronary artery calcification based on the Agatston [...] Read more.
Purpose: Thymic involution, a hallmark of immune ageing, is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation (“inflammaging”) and has been implicated in age-associated inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis. This study aimed to evaluate the association between persistent thymus and coronary artery calcification based on the Agatston score. Materials and Methods: In an exploratory effort, we retrospectively analyzed 206 patients aged 40–64 years who underwent ECG-triggered thoracic CT between 2019 and 2024. Coronary artery calcifications were quantified on virtual non-contrast reconstructions using the Agatston score. Thymic tissue was graded on a five-point scale based on the extent of fatty replacement, with higher grades indicating greater thymic preservation. Results: The cohort included 126 men and 80 women. Complete fatty replacement of the thymus (Grade 0) was seen more often in men compared to women (51/126 vs. 18/80; p = 0.011). Linear regression analysis revealed a significant inverse association between thymus grade and coronary Agatston score (Beta (B) = −28.8 (95% CI −45.3 to −12.3); p = 0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, higher thymic grades remained significantly associated with lower coronary Agatston scores (B = −22.2 (95% CI: −41.7 to −2.6); p = 0.03). Further analysis with adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors was not performed. Conclusions: Residual thymic tissue was significantly inversely associated with coronary artery calcification, and this association persisted after adjustment for age and sex. These findings support the hypothetical concept that morphologically detectable thymic remnants may reflect interindividual differences in immune ageing and inflammaging that are associated with age-related inflammatory disease phenotypes. The results of this hypothesis-generating study give incentive to further investigate the nature and strength of these associations in prospective studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Atherosclerosis: From Pathogenesis to Diagnostics and Targeted Therapies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop