Signatures Underlying Inflammation in the Pathogenesis and Evolution of Chronic Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between inflammation and modern human diseases (e.g., diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, renal disease, autoimmune diseases, and others) is still an unsolved mystery in medicine and biology. Inflammation is a protective reaction to detrimental stimuli that inevitably takes a toll on the physiological function of the tissue in which it occurs. Although we have evolved tremendously as a species, the evolution of genetic adaptation and the inflammatory response has not been able to keep up with the rapid changes in our environment, inducing escalating amounts of dissonance between the modern environment and selected traits. As a result, various tradeoffs affecting human physiology are not optimized to the modern environment, leading to heightened disease susceptibility.

Immune cascades of pro- and anti-inflammatory regulation are similar across the body, from the cardiovascular system to the oral cavity and metabolic regulation. They are interconnected with neural and psychological pathways through feedback loops. Through this lens, we can observe how seemingly non-connected pathologies, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, renal pathology, diabetes mellitus, and oral diseases such as periodontitis, are intertwined in their ability to overwhelm this finely tuned system, resulting in systemic inflammation and subsequently allowing chronic diseases to emerge.

The aim of this Special Issue is to accommodate a wide variety of original research but also review papers centered on inflammation. Moreover, we wish to integrate various disciplines and areas of study in the medical field so as to convey a novel perspective on this topic.

Finally, we wish to reframe the approach of managing individual diseases to a more holistic approach of treating the “person as a whole,” thus maximizing overall health and well-being, enhancing the patient experience, and encouraging patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes.

It is our pleasure to invite researchers to submit either original research or reviews for publication in the upcoming Special Issue of Diagnostics. Topics of interest especially include, but are not limited to, the following: inflammation signatures of chronic diseases, including of the oral cavity, such as periodontitis and other oral pathologies; diagnosis and treatment; theoretical and clinical studies on new and established diagnostic methods; evaluation of treatment effectiveness; effects of medication in the context of comorbidities; and new clinical treatment procedures and protocols.

Prof. Dr. Liliana-Georgeta Foia
Dr. Maria Alexandra Mârțu
Dr. Minerva Codruta Badescu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• inflammation
• biomarkers
• inflammaging
• inflammasome
• diabetes mellitus
• cardiovascular diseases
• renal pathology
• immunomodulatory therapy
• periodontitis
• oral diseases