Sex Differences in Molecular Mechanisms Linking Physiological Stress and Inflammation
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 278
Editors
Interests: neuropathic pain; neuroinflammation; neuron-glia interaction; neurological diseases; cognitive rehabilitation
Interests: neuroinflammation; neurodegeneration; systemic inflammation; neurotherapeutic development; neuron-glia interaction
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Inflammatory diseases increasingly reveal sex-specific patters in incidence, progression, and treatment response; however, underlying cellular and molecular determinants remain unclear or poorly defined. Emerging evidence indicates that immune-cell dynamics, across both central and peripheral compartments, actively shape inflammatory activation rather than acting as passive processes. This Special Issue will focus on how neuronal stress such as ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative dysfunction, and altered proteostasis drive inflammation through various downstream mechanisms. A primary emphasis will be placed on identifying and dissecting sex-dependent mechanisms that alter these pathways and contribute to differential vulnerability or resilience across inflammatory disorders.
We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications that address the following themes:
- Sex-specific molecular pathways linking cellular stress to immune activation;
- Cell stress response in male vs. female neurons;
- Neuron-derived DAMPs, PRR signaling, and inflammatory crosstalk with glia or peripheral immune cells;
- Single-cell, spatial, or multi-omic analyses elucidating sex differences in immune cell interactions;
- Mechanisms of cell injury, dysfunction, or death that different sexes during inflammation;
- Translation studies identifying sex-specific biomarkers or therapeutic targets related to cellular stress and inflammation.
This Special Issue aims to integrate cellular, molecular, and systems-level insights to advance our understanding of sex as a critical biological variable in inflammation. By highlighting immune-centric mechanisms, we seek to stimulate new strategies for sex-informed therapeutic development for inflammatory diseases.
Dr. John R. Bethea
Dr. Kayla Lee Nguyen
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-anonymized 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
- ER stress
- intracellular signaling
- neuronal stress
- immune activation
- sex differences
- neuro-immune interactions
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