Amino Acids and Their Metabolism in Disease

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules: Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2027 | Viewed by 1452

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Pediatrics, School of Pharmacy, Aichi-Gakuin University, 1-100 Kusumoto, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8650, Japan
Interests: pediatrics; Kawasaki disease; pentraxin 3; soluble pattern-recognition molecule; cytokines; enzyme preparations; cell death; sensitivity prediction; amino acid requirement; selective toxicity; pediatric hematology/oncology; amino acid metabolism; anticancer drugs; pediatric leukemia; flow cytometry; immunohistochemistry; monoclonal antibodies; asparagine synthetase; l-asparaginase; selective toxicity to cancer cells
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Amino acid metabolism is fundamental to cellular function, influencing protein synthesis, energy production, signaling pathways, and epigenetic regulation. Dysregulation of these pathways contributes to the development and progression of diverse diseases, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, neurological and psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, and immune dysfunction.

This Special Issue seeks to present recent advances in our understanding of the roles of amino acids and their metabolic networks in human disease. We welcome original research and comprehensive reviews addressing the following:

* Mechanistic studies of amino acid metabolic pathways in disease pathophysiology;

* The role of transporters, sensors, and metabolic enzymes as potential therapeutic targets;

* Interactions between amino acid metabolism and the immune system, microbiome, or tumor microenvironment;

* Development of biomarkers or diagnostic tools based on amino acid metabolism;

* Innovative therapeutic approaches, including enzyme inhibition, depletion strategies, or dietary interventions;

* Technological and methodological advances in metabolomics, flux analysis, and systems biology related to amino acid research.

By synthesizing such contributions, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field and stimulate further research into the targeting of amino acid metabolism for improved disease management.

Prof. Dr. Toshiyuki Kitoh
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • amino acid metabolism
  • disease pathophysiology
  • cancer metabolism
  • immunometabolism
  • metabolic reprogramming
  • amino acid transporters
  • therapeutic targeting
  • biomarkers
  • nutrient sensing
  • systems biology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 2366 KB  
Review
Arginine Transporters in Human Cancers: Emerging Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
by Xi Cai, Li Shang, Yueshuo Li, Ya Cao and Feng Shi
Biomolecules 2026, 16(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16010132 - 12 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1138
Abstract
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid for adults, which serves as a central hub synthesizing various metabolites. Arginine plays a critical role in carcinogensis. As a polar amino acid, the uptake and the transportation of arginine across cell membrane systems rely on transporter [...] Read more.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid for adults, which serves as a central hub synthesizing various metabolites. Arginine plays a critical role in carcinogensis. As a polar amino acid, the uptake and the transportation of arginine across cell membrane systems rely on transporter proteins. Arginine transporters remain critically important, particularly as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. Based on the subcellular localization, arginine transporters could be divided into two types: cell membrane arginine transporters and intracellular membrane arginine transporters. This review aims to investigate the latest advancements of arginine transporter proteins in cancer, focusing on their cellular localization, structural characteristics, and mechanism, with the goal of promoting the design and development of targeted anticancer therapeutics against these transporters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Their Metabolism in Disease)
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