Stress-Induced Acute Immune Activation and Its Biological Consequences
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 137
Special Issue Editor
Interests: innate immunity; immune signaling
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Throughout their lives, organisms face diverse psychological, physiological, and environmental stressors that place pressure on internal homeostasis; in order to adapt, they activate an acute immune response characterized by rapid cytokine release, the redistribution of immune cells, and cross-talk between the immune and nervous systems. When stress is brief, acute immune activation is largely beneficial, enhancing host defense, supporting tissue repair, and promoting survival. Yet when stress is excessive or prolonged, it becomes maladaptive, disrupting immune regulation, driving chronic inflammation, and increasing vulnerability to disease.
This Special Issue explores the mechanisms and biological consequences of stress-induced immune activation, and we seek contributions of original research and reviews that dissect the cellular and molecular pathways underlying this process, highlighting both protective and harmful effects. By integrating diverse perspectives, we aim to advance understanding of how stress shapes immunity and impacts health. Finally, we strongly encourage submissions that offer mechanistic insights or propose novel strategies to harness the beneficial effects of stress while limiting its harmful outcomes.
Dr. Ana Cicvaric
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
- stress-induced immune signaling
- acute immune activation
- innate immune cell activation
- cytokine response
- cellular stress responses
- inflammation and homeostasis
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