Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
10.5
5.2
Journals
Cells
Special Issues
The Cross-Talk Between Obesity and Metabolism
share announcement

The Cross-Talk Between Obesity and Metabolism

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 834

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hong Shi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Augusta University, Medical College of Georgia, Department of Medicine, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
Interests: cardiovascular disease; metabolic syndrome; systemic lupus erythematosus

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Guest Editor, I am pleased to introduce this Special Issue dedicated to unraveling the complex interplay between obesity and metabolic disorders, which are two interconnected public health challenges driving the global burden of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and certain cancers. The intricate biological mechanisms linking obesity to metabolic dysfunction are multifaceted and include dynamic interactions among adipose tissues, systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and disruptions in lipid and glucose metabolism.

This Special Issue seeks to gather cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of the molecular, cellular, and systemic pathways underlying obesity-induced metabolic dysregulation. I encourage submissions from a diverse range of disciplines, including molecular biology, endocrinology, immunology, and metabolism, to provide a holistic perspective on how obesity and metabolic disturbances influence one another. I welcome cellular and molecular research and view that offers practical insights into the prevention, management, and treatment of obesity-related metabolic disorders.

I invite researchers to contribute original research, reviews, and perspectives that explore novel therapeutic targets, experimental models, highlighting the cross-talk between obesity and metabolism. Submissions should aim to push the boundaries of current knowledge, foster interdisciplinary dialogue, and inspire new avenues for research and practice. As Guest Editor, I am committed to ensuring a rigorous peer-review process and selecting high-quality contributions that will shape the scientific discourse on this critical topic.

Dr. Hong Shi
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • obesity
  • metabolic disorders
  • insulin resistance
  • adipose tissue
  • inflammation
  • glucose metabolism
  • lipid metabolism
  • cardiovascular disease
  • type 2 diabetes
  • therapeutic targets

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1068 KB  
Article
Integrated Inflammatory Biomarker Profiling Differentiates Degrees of Body Mass Index Beyond Intestinal Barrier-Related Markers
by Theocharis Koufakis, Areti Kourti, Katerina Thsiadou, Paraskevi Karalazou, Ioannis Georgiadis, Dimitrios Patoulias, Djordje S. Popovic, Giuseppe Maltese, Alexander Kokkinos, Kalliopi Kotsa, Michael Doumas, Carel W. le Roux and Kali Makedou
Cells 2026, 15(9), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15090763 - 24 Apr 2026
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Obesity is characterized by low-grade systemic inflammation and alterations in gut-related immune pathways that may contribute to metabolic dysfunction. Composite biomarker indices may better capture these complex processes than individual markers, although their performance may differ across biological domains. In this cross-sectional study, [...] Read more.
Obesity is characterized by low-grade systemic inflammation and alterations in gut-related immune pathways that may contribute to metabolic dysfunction. Composite biomarker indices may better capture these complex processes than individual markers, although their performance may differ across biological domains. In this cross-sectional study, 88 adults without diabetes or infection were categorized as BMI < 25 kg/m2 (n = 20), BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2 (n = 34), or BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (n = 34). Circulating biomarkers reflecting systemic inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, ferritin, interleukin-6, presepsin) and intestinal barrier-related activity (β-defensin-2, regenerating islet-derived protein 3 alpha) were measured and subsequently combined into two composite indices: the Inflammatory Load Index, derived from inflammatory markers, and the Barrier Activation Index, derived from barrier-related markers. Group differences were assessed using analysis of variance with post hoc testing. Additional analyses included effect size estimation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and logistic regression. Individual biomarkers showed limited differences across BMI categories. The Inflammatory Load Index differed significantly across BMI categories (p = 0.040), with higher values observed in individuals with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 compared with those with BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2 (p = 0.032; Cohen’s d = 0.80), while the Barrier Activation Index did not differ (p = 0.257). In ROC analysis, the Inflammatory Load Index discriminated BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 with an area under the curve of 0.720 (95% confidence interval 0.576–0.851), yielding 77.8% sensitivity and 67.7% specificity. Each one standard deviation increase in the index was associated with higher odds of obesity (odds ratio 2.34, 95% confidence interval 1.22–4.49; p = 0.011). In conclusion, a composite inflammatory biomarker index, but not a barrier-related index, differentiates degrees of BMI in individuals without diabetes. These findings support integrated biomarker approaches for reflecting obesity-related biological burden beyond single markers. However, these observations are based on cross-sectional data and do not imply causality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Cross-Talk Between Obesity and Metabolism)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop