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Cells
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Aquaporins at the Crossroads of Human Health and Disease
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Aquaporins at the Crossroads of Human Health and Disease

A Special Issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2027 | Viewed by 2080

Editor

Dr. Anna Patrizia Gena

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
Interests: aquaporins; membrane transport; metabolism; inflammation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of channel proteins that facilitate the movement of water and small solutes, including glycerol, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide across biological membranes. AQPs have emerged as crucial regulators in both human physiology and pathophysiology. Increasing evidence highlights their involvement in a broad spectrum of biological processes and diseases, spanning metabolism, inflammation, cancer, neurodegeneration, infection, and tissue remodeling.

This Special Issue of Cells seeks to gather original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance our understanding of AQPs in health and disease. We welcome contributions exploring their structural and functional diversity, regulatory mechanisms, and roles in organ-specific pathophysiology.

Interest will be also given to studies investigating AQPs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets, as well as those employing innovative methodologies such as artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and high-resolution imaging to dissect AQP function, distribution, and modulation.

We invite you to contribute to this interdisciplinary collection and help illuminate the expanding impact of AQPs in contemporary biomedical research.

Dr. Anna Patrizia Gena
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 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-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

  • aquaporins
  • membrane molecular transport
  • channels proteins in health and disease
  • novel drug targets
  • cellular biophysics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 27476 KB  
Article
Combustion and Heated Tobacco Cigarettes, but Not E-Cigarettes, Impair Aquaporin-Dependent H2O2 Permeability in ATII-Like Cells
by Giorgia Senise, Francesca Bodega, Cristina Porta and Umberto Laforenza
Cells 2026, 15(12), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15121112 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 628
Abstract
Cigarette smoke is a major inducer of oxidative stress, promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and contributing to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Heated tobacco products (HTP) and e-cigarettes are promoted as reduced-risk alternatives; however, their impact [...] Read more.
Cigarette smoke is a major inducer of oxidative stress, promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and contributing to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Heated tobacco products (HTP) and e-cigarettes are promoted as reduced-risk alternatives; however, their impact on cellular redox regulation remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of conventional cigarette smoke extract (CSE), HTP, and e-cigarette extracts on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) permeability mediated by aquaporins (peroxiporins) and on the activity of key antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) in ATII-like cells. Eight aquaporins were detected at the mRNA level, and seven were confirmed at the protein level. CSE markedly inhibited H2O2 permeability across plasma, mitochondrial, and nuclear membranes. HTP extract impaired H2O2 transport across the plasma membrane and nuclear envelope, while mitochondrial permeability was preserved. Both CSE and HTP extract reduced superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. In contrast, e-cigarette extract exerted minimal effects on membrane H2O2 permeability and selectively decreased superoxide dismutase activity. Overall, our findings identify a graded pattern of oxidative toxicity (CSE > HTP > e-cigarette) and highlight peroxiporins as critical regulators of intracellular redox homeostasis. Although less harmful than cigarettes, alternative nicotine delivery systems are not biologically inert. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaporins at the Crossroads of Human Health and Disease)
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Review

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11 pages, 558 KB  
Review
Aquaporins as Regulators of Cutaneous Malignancies: A Comprehensive Review
by Lara Camillo, Elisa Zavattaro and Paola Savoia
Cells 2026, 15(5), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15050459 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 907
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small integral membrane proteins that mediate the selective transport of water and, in some cases, small solutes such as glycerol and hydrogen peroxide. In the skin, distinct AQP isoforms are expressed throughout the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, [...] Read more.
Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small integral membrane proteins that mediate the selective transport of water and, in some cases, small solutes such as glycerol and hydrogen peroxide. In the skin, distinct AQP isoforms are expressed throughout the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, where they play key roles in maintaining hydration, regulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation, modulating inflammatory responses, and preserving overall tissue integrity. Increasing evidence indicates that aberrant AQP expression or function contributes to skin carcinogenesis, influencing tumor initiation, local invasion, metastasis, and responses to microenvironmental stress. Alterations in specific AQP isoforms have been associated with both major classes of cutaneous malignancies—non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, as well as malignant melanoma (MM)—yet their mechanistic contributions remain incompletely understood. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the involvement of each AQP isoform in skin cancer pathogenesis and progression, integrating findings from molecular, cellular, and in vivo studies. By clarifying the diverse roles of AQPs in cutaneous malignancies, this work aims to support the development of targeted interventions and guide future research in this rapidly evolving field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaporins at the Crossroads of Human Health and Disease)
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