The Role of Scavenger Receptors in Health and Disease
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Factors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 813
Special Issue Editors
2. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Histology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: prognostic markers; cancer biomarkers; cancer biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. “Victor Babeș” National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: prognostic markers; cancer biomarkers; cancer biology; cancer metastasis; metastasis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
During recent years, scavenger receptors have arisen as a key participant in the multiplayer environment of different homeostatic and diseased states and as a brilliant example of resource optimization in a biological system.
Scavenger receptors (SRs) are a heterogeneous group of membrane-bound receptors that recognize and internalize a wide range of ligands, including modified lipoproteins, pathogens, and cellular debris. There are many types of scavenger receptors with diverse biological activities—such as SR-A (SR-A1, MARCO), LOX-1 (SR-E1), SR-B1 (SCARB1), and CXCL16 (SR-PSOX). Among them, CD36 (SR-B2) has been extensively studied for its multifaceted functions.
In homeostatic conditions, CD36 is expressed by a wide variety of cell types, where it supports various functions. It was introduced as a cell adhesion molecule on platelets and erythrocytes with a high affinity for collagens and thrombospondin-1, but later on, it was found to support many other roles, from the recognition, uptake, and processing of fatty acids; to lipids scavenging for anionic or oxidized phospholipids or lipoproteins; angiogenesis inhibition by impairing endothelial cell migration and promoting apoptosis; microglial binding and the clearance of hydrophobic amyloid fibrils in brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease; and even the recognition and clearance of fungi and bacteria, just to name a few. As a result, it has acquired many names along the way, from glycoprotein IV (GPIV) to fatty acid translocase (FAT), scavenger receptor class B (SR-B2), or glycoprotein 88 (GP88).
Inhibiting CD36 or LOX-1 could mitigate atherosclerosis and cancer progression, while enhancing SR-B1 activity may improve cholesterol metabolism. Meanwhile, SR-A and MARCO modulation could influence infectious disease outcomes. Given their roles in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and pathogen clearance, scavenger receptors are promising therapeutic targets.
This Special Issue is an open invitation to highlight what is already demonstrated and to encourage going beyond the edges of this already-expanding universe.
Dr. Laura Cristina Ceafalan
Prof. Dr. Mihail E. Hinescu
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- scavenger receptor
- CD36
- lipid scavenger
- cell-to-matrix adhesion
- metastasis
- neoangiogenesis
- biomarker
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