Podocyte Research: Molecular Insights and Clinical Applications
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 528
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biology of podocytes; permeability factors; cell death; ncRNAs; senescence; ferroptosis; nephrotic syndrome; renal transplantation; protein structure; bioinformatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue on Podocyte Biology.
Podocytes are highly specialized postmitotic epithelial cells that constitute an essential component of the glomerular filtration barrier. Their unique architecture, characterized by interdigitating foot processes and the slit diaphragm, is crucial for maintaining renal function. The postmitotic nature of podocytes makes them particularly vulnerable to irreversible damage, representing a central pathogenic event in numerous glomerular diseases, including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, diabetic nephropathy, minimal change disease, IgA nephropathy, membranous glomerulonephritis, and nephrotic syndrome. Recent advances in molecular biology, genetics, and imaging techniques have revealed fundamental mechanisms regulating podocyte homeostasis, including signaling pathways, cytoskeleton regulation, stress responses, and repair mechanisms. However, numerous etiopathogenic questions about podocyte injury remain unanswered. Since podocytes cannot regenerate, damage prevention and the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving their function represent critical priorities in nephrology.
This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of podocyte biology and translates these insights into clinical applications. This Special Issue is aligned with the scope of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, focusing on molecular mechanisms of disease and their therapeutic implications. We seek to compile comprehensive knowledge spanning molecular mechanisms of podocyte injury, novel therapeutic approaches, biomarker discovery, and innovative experimental models that will contribute to preventing chronic kidney disease progression.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Molecular mechanisms of podocyte injury and cell death pathways (apoptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis);
- Permeability factors and podocyte dysfunction;
- Non-coding RNAs in podocyte biology and disease regulation;
- Podocyte senescence and aging-related kidney disease;
- Slit diaphragm proteins: structure, function, and pathological alterations;
- Genetic and rare podocytopathies;
- Podocyte injury in nephrotic syndrome and glomerular diseases;
- Experimental models of podocyte disease (in vitro, in vivo, and organoids);
- Biomarkers of podocyte damage and disease progression;
- Therapeutic strategies for podocyte preservation and repair;
- Podocyte biology in kidney transplantation;
- Systems biology and bioinformatics approaches to podocyte research;
- Podocyte-targeted drug development and precision medicine;
- The effects of podocyte functions on glomerular filtration rate;
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Hans Lorenzo
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. 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
- podocytes
- glomerular filtration barrier
- slit diaphragm
- podocyte injury
- proteinuria
- focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
- nephrotic syndrome
- cell death
- non-coding RNAs
- therapeutic targets
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