The Role of Cytokines in Immunological Disorders and Their Therapies
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 243
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cytokines are fundamental signaling molecules that orchestrate immune responses and maintain homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Like other cellular communication systems, cytokine networks represent critical decision-making pathways that cells utilize to coordinate responses—sometimes promoting inflammation and immune activation, other times facilitating resolution and tissue repair.
Cytokines serve essential purposes in the biology of complex organisms, mediating communication between diverse cell types and tissues. However, the machinery for cytokine signaling is evolutionarily conserved, with basic signaling elements found across species ranging from simple organisms to humans. The molecular mechanisms of cytokine action and regulation are intricate and often interconnected with other cellular processes, such as cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis, thereby forming a part of an extensive signaling network. The disruption of these cytokine networks frequently causes immune dysfunction and inflammatory disorders, and dysregulated cytokine production directly contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, psoriasis, COVID-19, and MIS-C.
This Special Issue will focus on exploring the role of cytokines in autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease development and the therapeutic modulation of cytokine pathways for disease treatment, as it is crucial that our knowledge in this rapidly evolving field is constantly updated. This Special Issue will encompass both pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-10 and TGF-β), their complex regulatory networks, and emerging therapeutic targets, including JAK inhibitors and biologic agents. We highly welcome original research articles, short communications, and review manuscripts addressing cytokine biology, autoimmune pathogenesis, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic interventions. Interdisciplinary contributions will help provide a detailed overview of this exciting research field in immunology, rheumatology, and translational medicine, offering great opportunities for new discoveries and clinical applications in autoimmune disease management and personalized therapy development.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Mohammad Massumi
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- cytokines
- autoimmune diseases
- autoinflammatory diseases
- TNF-alpha
- interleukin-17
- IL-6
- immune tolerance
- biologic therapy
- JAK inhibitors
- inflammation
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