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Biomedicines
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Advances in Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases
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Advances in Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2291

Editor

Dr. Sherein Salem

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pathobiology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA
Interests: inflammatory pathology; diagnostic and comparative pathology; systemic and organ-specific pathology; histopathology; molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostics; host–pathogen interactions; emerging pathogens; clinical–pathological correlations; infectious diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious and inflammatory diseases continue to be leading causes of morbidity and mortality across both human and animal populations, representing a significant global health challenge that requires continuous scientific attention. These conditions affect multiple organ systems, disrupt homeostasis, and drive complex immune responses that influence disease outcomes. Advances in diagnostic tools, molecular techniques, and comparative pathology now provide deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying host–pathogen interactions and inflammatory responses. These developments offer new opportunities for improving disease detection, understanding pathogenesis, and informing clinical decision-making. This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality research focused on infectious and inflammatory diseases, with an emphasis on diagnostic pathology, systemic and organ-specific lesions, disease mechanisms, and translational applications. Topics of interest include emerging and re-emerging pathogens, molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostics, inflammatory pathways, tissue-based investigations, and host immune responses. This issue fits well within the scope of Biomedicines, which promotes innovative research bridging pathology, diagnostics, disease biology, and clinical relevance. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Infectious diseases across species;
  • Organ-specific inflammatory pathology;
  • Molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostics;
  • Host–pathogen interactions;
  • Emerging pathogens;
  • Disease mechanisms and biomarkers.

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Dr. Sherein Salem
Guest Editor

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-anonymized 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

  • infectious diseases
  • inflammatory pathology
  • systemic and organ-specific pathology
  • diagnostic and comparative pathology
  • histopathology and tissue-based diagnosis
  • molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostics
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • emerging and re-emerging pathogens
  • clinical–pathological correlations

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2721 KB  
Article
Azithromycin Mitigates Experimental Cryptosporidiosis-Driven Ileocecal Adenocarcinoma by Modulating Autophagy, Apoptosis, and PI3K/AKT Signaling
by Walaa H. El-Maadawy, Eman S. El-Wakil, Marwa Hassan, Gamal A. Abo Sheishaa, Noha F. Zahran, Mohammed S. El Faramawy, Mohammed H. Abdallah and Eman A. Elsayed
Biomedicines 2026, 14(6), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14061232 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 373
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), a waterborne intestinal parasite, causes severe, persistent infections in immunocompromised hosts and has been linked to the onset of ileocecal adenocarcinoma. However, the molecular pathways linking chronic infection to carcinogenesis remain unclear. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), a waterborne intestinal parasite, causes severe, persistent infections in immunocompromised hosts and has been linked to the onset of ileocecal adenocarcinoma. However, the molecular pathways linking chronic infection to carcinogenesis remain unclear. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), the only FDA-approved drug for this infection, shows limited efficacy. In contrast, azithromycin (AZM) possesses both antiparasitic and anticancer activity, though conclusive evidence supporting its effectiveness against cryptosporidiosis is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of AZM against chronic cryptosporidiosis and its associated tumorigenic sequelae. Methods: Immunosuppressed mice were infected with C. parvum and treated with NTZ or AZM. Parasite burden was assessed by quantifying fecal oocyst shedding. Ileocecal tissues were analyzed for histopathology, inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-α), autophagy markers (LC3II, Beclin-1, and Atg7), PI3K/AKT signaling, and apoptotic markers (Bcl2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, DR4, and DR5) using ELISA, real-time PCR, and Western blot. Results: Chronic C. parvum infection induced Vienna 4.4 adenocarcinoma, activated autophagy and PI3K/AKT signaling, and suppressed intrinsic and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. AZM significantly reduced the parasitic load by 87%, outperforming NTZ (62%). It also restored epithelial integrity, attenuated inflammation, and counteracted pro-tumorigenic effects by inhibiting autophagy, downregulating the PI3K/AKT pathway, and stimulating apoptosis. Conclusions: AZM counteracted parasite-driven tumorigenic mechanisms by disrupting survival pathways and promoting apoptosis in infected and transformed cells. These findings provide evidence that AZM exerts dual antiparasitic effects and counteracts pro-tumorigenic signaling in chronic cryptosporidiosis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent to prevent infection-associated ileocecal carcinogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases)
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17 pages, 1235 KB  
Article
HLA Class I and II Variants as Potential Determinants of Clinical Severity and Mortality in Patients with COVID-19: A Prospective Study from Saudi Arabia
by Jawaher A. Alsubait, Dalal S. Alshaya, Fatimah F. Alghnnam, Mashael J. Abu-Alola, Marie Fe F. Bohol, Saltana A. Alhowaiti, Abdullah Al Marzan, Arwa A. Al-Qahtani, Esra’a Abudouleh, Tarek Owaidah, Fatimah Alhamlan and Ahmed Al-Qahtani
Biomedicines 2026, 14(6), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14061220 - 28 May 2026
Viewed by 395
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Genetic variation in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes may contribute to inter-individual differences in infectious-disease susceptibility and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the genotype frequency of HLA Class I and Class II loci in patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Genetic variation in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes may contribute to inter-individual differences in infectious-disease susceptibility and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the genotype frequency of HLA Class I and Class II loci in patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and to examine their associations with survival and clinical severity. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2022 to December 2023. Genomic DNA was extracted, and polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) testing was performed to screen HLA genetic variation. Patients were grouped by survival status (recovered or deceased) and clinical severity: Stage A (asymptomatic), Stage B (mild), Stage C (moderate), and Stage D (severe). Results: In total, 123 patients with COVID-19 were included; 102 (82.9%) recovered and 21 (17.1%) died. ICU admission was more frequent among deceased patients than among recovered patients (95.2% versus 51.0%, p = 0.0001). At the locus level, HLA-DPB1 represented the largest proportion of HLA calls (21%). In call-position-specific allele-group analyses, B*15 in Allele 1 (14.3% versus 1.0%, p = 0.016), C*06 in Allele 2 (42.9% versus 18.6%, p = 0.023), DRB1*10 in Allele 1 (19.0% versus 4.9%, p = 0.045), and DQB1*05 in Allele 1 (33.3% versus 11.8%, p = 0.021) were significantly more frequent among deceased patients, whereas DQB1*03 in Allele 1 was significantly more frequent among recovered patients (45.1% versus 14.3%, p = 0.013). Severity analyses showed call-position-specific differences involving C*15, C*06, B*14, B*39, B*53, and DQB1*03. Vaccination status did not differ significantly by survival status or across the four clinical severity stages. Conclusions: Selected HLA Class I and Class II allele groups may be associated with COVID-19 survival and clinical severity patterns in this Saudi cohort. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cohort size and call-position-specific nature of the analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases)
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16 pages, 988 KB  
Article
Comparative Clinicopathological Features and p16 Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma of the Cervix: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study in Saudi Arabia (2020–2024)
by Emad Alqassim, Mashael J. Abu Alola, Ahmad Y. Alqassim, Asma Tulbah, Sarah Alawami, Abdulrahman Samman, Zainab Y. Azzouni, Amnah A. Shubayli, Arwa A. Al-Qahtani, Abdulrahman A. Alahmari, Fatimah Alhamlan and Ahmed A. Al-Qahtani
Biomedicines 2026, 14(3), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14030686 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major global health burden, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) representing the two predominant histological subtypes. Comparative clinicopathological patterns between SCC and ADC in contemporary cohorts remain of interest, but inference is often limited by [...] Read more.
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major global health burden, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) representing the two predominant histological subtypes. Comparative clinicopathological patterns between SCC and ADC in contemporary cohorts remain of interest, but inference is often limited by small single-center datasets. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort analysis of cervical cancer patients treated between 2020 and 2024. Demographic, clinical, and pathological variables, including p16 immunohistochemistry, histological subtype, differentiation grade, FIGO stage, and survival status, were analyzed. Comparative analyses were performed using appropriate exact tests, and survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier methods. Results: The cohort included 85 patients: 69 with squamous cell carcinoma and 16 with adenocarcinoma. Both subtypes demonstrated similarly high p16 positive rates (89.9% vs. 93.8%, p = 1.00). Menopausal status emerged as a distinguishing factor (p = 0.0047), with SCC patients more likely to be postmenopausal. SCC patients were older on average (52.16 vs. 48.2 years: p = 0.0131). Analyses involving p16 status were interpreted descriptively due to the very small number of p16-negative cases. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed significant survival differences by clinical stage (log-rank p = 0.03), with high-stage patients showing progressive decline from 95% to 73% survival over five years, while low-stage patients maintained 100% survival. Conclusions: In this retrospective single-center cohort, SCC and ADC showed similar p16 positivity rates and clinical stage remained the most informative prognostic variable. Apparent subtype-related demographic differences and multivariable associations should be considered hypothesis-generating rather than definitive. Larger multicenter studies with standardized pathology and p16 assessment, direct HPV testing/genotyping, and more complete clinical and prevention-related data are needed before prognostic or clinical conclusions are drawn. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases)
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