Oxidative Stress Unveiled: Mechanisms and Implications in Cardiac Pathologies
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 23
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cardiomyopathy; cellular metabolism; drug resistance; cell signaling
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The idea that free radicals contribute to disease can be traced back to Denham Harman’s free radical theory of aging in the 1950s. Since then, oxidative stress (OS) has been increasingly recognized as a central player in cardiovascular disease (CVD). By the 1980s–1990s, research had already begun to shift OS from a physiological messenger to a driver of pathology in heart failure (HF) and ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. OS arises when the balance tips between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses. The consequences are profound: DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein dysfunction, and ultimately cell death. Mitochondria, NOX enzymes, and neurohormonal pathways fuel ROS production, while conditions like hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and aging exacerbate it. Mitochondrial injury forms a vicious cycle—ROS impair the ETC, damage mtDNA, and open mPTPs, worsening dysfunction. Fibrosis and inflammation follow, with fibroblast activation, cytokine release, and NF-κB signaling reshaping the heart toward stiffness, arrhythmia, and decline in function.
For this Special Issue, we particularly welcome studies exploring paracrine crosstalk between endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts, where oxidative stress acts as a signaling mediator in remodeling. We encourage investigations into Nrf2 activation as a master regulator of antioxidant defense, including its interactions with mitochondrial quality control and metabolic adaptation. Genetic insights are also vital, from CYBA polymorphisms in NADPH oxidase to mitochondrial mutations linked to aging-related CVD. Submissions may span diverse models, clinical biomarker studies in patients, transgenic and knockout mouse models, cell-based assays such as H9c2 or iPSCs, zebrafish for dynamic in vivo imaging, and organ-on-chip platforms that capture human-like cardiac microenvironments. Together, these approaches can bring us closer to decoding how oxidative stress shapes the failing heart.
Dr. Sukkum Ngullie Chang
Dr. Vernat Exil
Guest Editors
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- reactive oxygen species (ROS)
- electron transport chain (ETC)
- mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP)
- endothelial–cardiomyocyte–fibroblast crosstalk
- metabolic adaptation
- inflammation
- cardiovascular disease (CVD)
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.
