Ion Homeostasis and Metal Biology in Diseases
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Factors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 17 December 2026 | Viewed by 90
Special Issue Editors
Interests: metal biology; ion homeostasis; metal-ion redox chemistry; spatiotemporal metal dynamics in disease; DNA-based molecular sensors
Interests: metal ion; metabolites; metallomics; metabolomics; metal biology; metal disease models; nucleic acid sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Metal ions are fundamental regulators of biological systems, supporting enzymatic activity, structural integrity, redox balance and cellular signaling. Tight control of ion homeostasis with spatiotemporal precision is essential for health, while disruptions in metal distribution, speciation or redox state contribute to a wide range of diseases, including neurodegeneration, cancer, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease. Recent advances in chemical biology, metallomics, imaging and systems‑level approaches have transformed the field, revealing metal ions as dynamic signaling entities embedded in complex regulatory networks rather than passive cofactors. Despite this progress, critical questions remain regarding how metal homeostasis is established, sensed and remodeled under physiological and pathological conditions.
This Special Issue, Ion Homeostasis and Metal Biology in Disease, brings together mechanistic, technological and disease‑focused studies that examine how metal ions are regulated and function across biological systems. We welcome studies ranging from basic chemical and biological mechanisms to disease‑focused and translational research. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, metal sensing and transport; the spatial organization of metals within cells; metal‑dependent protein function; ion‑dependent signaling pathways; organelle‑specific metal dynamics; interactions among multiple metal ions and emerging therapeutic strategies such as metal‑targeted drugs, chelation approaches and nanomedicine.
We invite original research articles, reviews and perspectives addressing current challenges and emerging themes in ion homeostasis and metal biology in disease.
Dr. Yuting Wu
Dr. Zhenglin Yang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- metal ion homeostasis
- metal biology
- metalloproteins
- metal-protein interactions
- ion signaling and redox regulation
- multi-metal crosstalk
- bioinorganic mechanisms in metal biology
- metal-targeted therapeutics
- metal sensing methods
- metals as medicines
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