Recent Developments in Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2025) | Viewed by 2745

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department Woman-Mother-Child, Division of Pediatrics, DOHaD Laboratory, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
Interests: endothelial colony-forming cells; oxidative stress; stress-induced premature senescence; cardiometabolic disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are increasing globally, posing a significant public health challenge. It is now well established that these chronic conditions are influenced not only by lifestyle factors in adulthood but also by early-life events, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life. Given the multifaceted nature of these diseases, which affect multiple organs and systems, recent research has focused on identifying key factors and mechanisms contributing to the development of cardiometabolic disorders. These include genetic and epigenetic influences, sex hormones, microbiota composition, inflammation, oxidative stress, programmed cell death, circadian rhythm disruptions, and environmental exposures. The aim of all these studies is to inform and develop targeted therapeutic approaches, such as cardiovascular treatments, oxidative stress management, nutritional interventions, cell therapies, and hormone replacement strategies.

In addition, cardiometabolic disorders exhibit differences based on gender. Women tend to have greater protection against these diseases compared to men, at least until menopause. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies may be significantly influenced by sexual dimorphism, underscoring the importance of incorporating gender-specific considerations into both research and treatment.

Dr. Catherine Yzydorczyk
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • cardiometabolic diseases
  • developmental programming
  • sexual dimorphism

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 8551 KB  
Article
Pharmacoepigenomic Impact of Antihypertensive Drugs on miRNome and Proteome and Its Potential Influence on Health and Side Effects
by Samyukta Bhass and Moinak Banerjee
Cells 2025, 14(17), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14171359 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 722
Abstract
Antihypertensive drugs are widely used for the treatment of hypertension, and the choice of drug and dosage is based on trial and error. The variability in drug response and adverse reactions leads to the poor adherence to treatment. Epigenetic modulation is one of [...] Read more.
Antihypertensive drugs are widely used for the treatment of hypertension, and the choice of drug and dosage is based on trial and error. The variability in drug response and adverse reactions leads to the poor adherence to treatment. Epigenetic modulation is one of the major mechanisms that may contribute to the variability in drug responses, and microRNAs (miRNAs) can serve as crucial epigenetic regulators and have also been reported to be associated with hypertension pathogenesis. The objective of this study is to investigate the regulatory effects of commonly used antihypertensive drugs on the endothelial miRNome in human aortic endothelial cells. We aim to integrate miRNA expression data with proteomic analyses to elucidate drug-induced molecular mechanisms relevant to hypertension treatment. Whole genome small RNA sequencing was performed, followed by whole proteome analysis using LC-MS/MS comparing between control and treated samples. The treatments induced significant differential regulation of several miRNAs and proteins; among these, a few reflected reverse relationships with miRNA regulation and protein expression. Certain miRNAs and their corresponding target proteins seem to distinguish between good therapeutic outcomes and potential side effects. This study unravels the potential role of drug-induced miRNAs in inducing post-transcriptional modifications to cause the differential expression of certain proteins that may induce not only therapeutic effects or drug side effects but can also indicate the potential for drug-repurposing in other diseases. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

68 pages, 19995 KB  
Review
Sexual Dimorphism in Cardiometabolic Diseases: From Development to Senescence and Therapeutic Approaches
by Thea Chevalley, Marion Dübi, Laurent Fumeaux, Maria Serena Merli, Alexandre Sarre, Natacha Schaer, Umberto Simeoni and Catherine Yzydorczyk
Cells 2025, 14(6), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14060467 - 20 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1725
Abstract
The global incidence and prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders have risen significantly in recent years. Although lifestyle choices in adulthood play a crucial role in the development of these conditions, it is well established that events occurring early in life can have an important [...] Read more.
The global incidence and prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders have risen significantly in recent years. Although lifestyle choices in adulthood play a crucial role in the development of these conditions, it is well established that events occurring early in life can have an important effect. Recent research on cardiometabolic diseases has highlighted the influence of sexual dimorphism on risk factors, underlying mechanisms, and response to therapies. In this narrative review, we summarize the current understanding of sexual dimorphism in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the general population and within the framework of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept. We explore key risk factors and mechanisms, including the influence of genetic and epigenetic factors, placental and embryonic development, maternal nutrition, sex hormones, energy metabolism, microbiota, oxidative stress, cell death, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, circadian rhythm, and lifestyle factors. Finally, we discuss some of the main therapeutic approaches, responses to which may be influenced by sexual dimorphism, such as antihypertensive and cardiovascular treatments, oxidative stress management, nutrition, cell therapies, and hormone replacement therapy. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop