Toxicology in Cells: Cellular Mechanisms, Molecular Responses, and Modern Models

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 538

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland
Interests: cell biology; toxicology

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Guest Editor
Team "Mitochondria, Apoptosis and Autophagy Signalling", Institut de Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS FR 3636, 45 Rue des Saints-Pères, CEDEX 06, 75270 Paris, France
Interests: apoptosis; autophagy; mitochondria; proteins/lipids interactions in cell death signalling; experimental toxicology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Toxicology is entering a new era driven by the rapid development of advanced cellular models, high-throughput technologies, and systems biology approaches. Understanding how toxicants interact with cellular pathways is essential for elucidating mechanisms of toxicity, identifying biomarkers, and developing safer chemicals and drugs.

This Special Issue, “Toxicology in Cells: Cellular Mechanisms, Molecular Responses, and Modern Models”, aims to highlight recent advances in the study of toxic effects at the cellular and molecular level. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and methodological papers focusing on how cells respond to environmental, pharmaceutical, and industrial toxicants.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Mechanisms of cellular stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis induced by toxicants;
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and ER stress in toxicity;
  • Cellular uptake and processing of nanoparticles and other emerging contaminants;
  • Organoid, organ-on-a-chip, and 3D cell models for toxicity testing;
  • Toxicogenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and single-cell omics approaches;
  • Epigenetic alterations and molecular biomarkers of toxicity;
  • Drug-induced liver, kidney, and cardiac toxicity in cell systems;
  • Immunotoxicity and inflammatory responses at the cellular level;
  • Integration of in vitro and in silico methods for predictive toxicology;
  • AI, machine learning, and systems biology approaches in mechanistic toxicology.

This Special Issue will provide a platform for presenting innovative approaches that bridge the gap between cellular biology and toxicology, contributing to the development of mechanism-based safety assessment and precision toxicology.

Dr. Maria Jurczuk
Dr. Patrice X. Petit
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • cellular toxicology
  • oxidative stress
  • apoptosis
  • autophagy
  • biomarkers
  • nanotoxicology
  • organ-on-chip
  • toxicogenomics
  • epigenetic regulation
  • mitochondrial dysfunction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1192 KB  
Article
Selective Activation of Human Monocytes Exposed Ex Vivo to Different E-Cigarette Aerosols: Possible Role in Subclinical Inflammation
by Maciej Roslan, Katarzyna Milewska, Piotr Szoka, Kacper Warpechowski, Kacper Borawski, Jakub Milewski and Adam Holownia
Cells 2026, 15(5), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15050397 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 343
Abstract
Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are promoted as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, yet their impact on immune cells remains incompletely understood. This study investigates the activation of human primary adherent and non-adherent monocytes exposed ex vivo to aerosols from four flavored ECs (classic [...] Read more.
Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are promoted as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, yet their impact on immune cells remains incompletely understood. This study investigates the activation of human primary adherent and non-adherent monocytes exposed ex vivo to aerosols from four flavored ECs (classic tobacco, menthol, watermelon, and strawberry) compared to cigarette smoke (CS) and nicotine alone. EC aerosols (ECEs) induced modest cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and superoxide dismutase activity compared to CS, with high cell response heterogeneity indicating subpopulation-specific effects. Adherent monocytes showed elevated integrin expression (CD11a, CD11b), ICAM-1 (CD54), TNFα, and oxidative stress versus non-adherent cells, amplified by ECE. Dual fluorescence flow cytometry (green DCF for ROS and red for anti-TNFα Ab) revealed shifts toward pro-inflammatory/oxidative quadrants, particularly upper-right high-intensity relatively small subsets with macrophage M1-like CD68 expression in adherent cells. ECEs reduced phagocytosis in adherent monocytes, mimicking CS effects, probably driven by non-nicotine components. Strawberry flavor (ECE 4) elicited the strongest TNFα induction. These findings demonstrate EC-induced subclinical inflammation via selective monocyte activation, potentially contributing to chronic cardiopulmonary risks despite significantly lower overall toxicity than CS. Full article
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