Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.1
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition
ijms-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition

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: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 6576

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Davide Firinu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: autoimmunity; autoinflammation; immune response to infection and vaccines; angioedema
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanni Paoletti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20090 Milan, Italy
2. IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
Interests: allergology and clinical immunology; asthma; chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giulia Costanzo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: allergology and clinical immunology; asthma; chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; immunology; rheumatology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mast cells (MCs) are multifunctional cells participating in innate and adaptive immune processes. MCs participate in the detection of pathogens, wound healing, and cancer and tumor progression. Inappropriate, recurrent mast-cell activation and the secretion of MC-derived mediators play an essential role in many human diseases: allergy, asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria, anaphylaxis, mastocytosis, etc.

As the role of MCs has been demonstrated for several underlying molecular mechanisms in chronic diseases, the identification of novel therapeutic approaches and biomarkers is a key topic.

We kindly invite researchers to submit manuscripts regarding the role, function, and therapeutic implications of acute and chronic diseases, which may have a direct potential impact on the management of these patients.

Dr. Davide Firinu
Dr. Giovanni Paoletti
Dr. Giulia Costanzo
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

  • mast-cell activation
  • secretion of MC-derived mediators
  • allergy
  • asthma
  • allergic rhinitis
  • urticaria
  • anaphylaxis
  • mastocytosis

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.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 2763 KiB  
Article
An Autocrine Regulator Loop Involving Tumor Necrosis Factor and Chemokine (C-C motif) Ligand-2 Is Activated by Transforming Growth Factor-β in Rat Basophilic Leukemia-2H3 Mast Cells
by Dulce Avila-Rodríguez, Alfredo Ibarra-Sánchez, Marcela Sosa-Garrocho, Genaro Vázquez-Victorio, Cassandre Caligaris, Isabel Anaya-Rubio, Deisy Segura-Villalobos, Ulrich Blank, Claudia González-Espinosa and Marina Macias-Silva
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(9), 4263; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094263 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 167
Abstract
TGF-β is a pleiotropic cytokine with both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on immune cells, depending on the microenvironmental context. It targets mast cells (MCs) in different physio-pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. Besides acting as a potent chemoattractant for MCs, TGF-β regulates [...] Read more.
TGF-β is a pleiotropic cytokine with both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on immune cells, depending on the microenvironmental context. It targets mast cells (MCs) in different physio-pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. Besides acting as a potent chemoattractant for MCs, TGF-β regulates many other aspects of MCs’ physiology, including the secretion of many regulatory molecules. MCs secrete a variety of mediators, either pre-formed or newly synthesized, upon appropriate stimulation. CCL-2 chemokine and TNF cytokine act as potent chemoattractants for several immune cells and participate in the initiation of inflammatory responses by recruiting them to injured tissues. TGF-β regulates CCL-2 and TNF secretion in different cell types and under distinct cellular contexts. Here, we report that the treatment with TGF-β alone induces the secretion of both pre-formed and newly synthesized CCL-2 in the rat RBL-2H3 mast cells but not in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). TGF-β-induced CCL-2 secretion depends on rapid rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton and, remarkably, on the early secretion of soluble TNF that triggers an autocrine TNF signaling. In conclusion, we found cooperation between TGF-β and TNF signaling pathways to promote the secretion of CCL-2 chemokine by MCs in a cell-context specific manner. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4948 KiB  
Article
Mast Cell Carboxypeptidase A3 Is Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis Secondary to COVID-19
by Yatsiri G. Meneses-Preza, Ricardo Martínez-Martínez, Claudia Meixueiro-Calderón, Ulises Manuel Hernández, Elizabeth Angelica Retana, María Dolores Ponce-Regalado, Armando Gamboa-Domínguez, Juan Carlos León-Contreras, Samira Muñoz-Cruz, Rogelio Hernández-Pando, Sonia M. Pérez-Tapia, Alma D. Chávez-Blanco, Enrique Becerril-Villanueva and Rommel Chacón-Salinas
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 12258; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252212258 - 14 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1529
Abstract
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2; over the course of the disease, a dysregulated immune response leads to excessive inflammation that damages lung parenchyma and compromises its function. One of the cell lineages classically associated with pathological inflammatory processes is mast [...] Read more.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2; over the course of the disease, a dysregulated immune response leads to excessive inflammation that damages lung parenchyma and compromises its function. One of the cell lineages classically associated with pathological inflammatory processes is mast cells (MCs). MCs and their mediators have been associated with COVID-19; we previously reported the role of carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3) in severe COVID-19. However, sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been poorly studied. In patients who successfully resolve the infection, one of the reported sequelae is pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The etiology and exact mechanisms are unknown, and few studies exist. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether MCs are associated with PF development after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings demonstrate that during severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is an increased amount of CPA3+ MCs in areas with pneumonia, around thrombotic blood vessels, and in fibrotic tissue. Moreover, higher numbers of CPA3-expressing MCs correlate with fibrotic tissue development (r = 0.8323; p = 0.001170). These results suggest that during COVID-19, exacerbated inflammation favors the recruitment or expansion of MCs and CPA3 expression in the lungs, which favors tissue damage and a failure of repair mechanisms, leading to fibrosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 18298 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Mast Cells to the Regulation of Elastic Fiber Tensometry in the Skin Dermis of Children with Marfan Syndrome
by Dmitrii Atiakshin, Ekaterina Nikolaeva, Alla Semyachkina, Andrey Kostin, Artem Volodkin, Sergey Morozov, Michael Ignatyuk, Liudmila Mikhaleva, Grigory Demyashkin, Daniel Elieh-Ali-Komi, Igor Buchwalow and Markus Tiemann
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179191 - 24 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a hereditary condition accompanied by disorders in the structural and regulatory properties of connective tissue, including elastic fibers, due to a mutation in the gene encodes for fibrillin-1 protein (FBN1 gene) and the synthesis of abnormal fibrillin-1 glycoprotein. Despite [...] Read more.
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a hereditary condition accompanied by disorders in the structural and regulatory properties of connective tissue, including elastic fibers, due to a mutation in the gene encodes for fibrillin-1 protein (FBN1 gene) and the synthesis of abnormal fibrillin-1 glycoprotein. Despite the high potential of mast cells (MCs) to remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM), their pathogenetic significance in MFS has not been considered yet. The group of patients with Marfan syndrome included two mothers and five children (three girls aged 4, 11, and 11 and two boys aged 12 and 13). Normal skin was examined in two children aged 11 and 12. Histochemical, monoplex, and multiplex immunohistochemical techniques; combined protocols of simultaneous histochemical and immunohistochemical staining (the results of staining were assessed using light, epifluorescence, and confocal microscopy); and bioinformatics algorithms for the quantitative analysis of detected targets were used to evaluate mast cells and their relationship with other cells from extracellular structures in the skin dermis. Analysis of the skin MC population in children with Marfan syndrome revealed a considerably increased number of intra-organic populations with the preservation of the specific Tryptase+Chymase+CPA3+ protease profile typical of the skin. The features of the MC histotopography phenotype in MFS consisted of closer colocalization with elastic fibers, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. MCs formed many intradermal clusters that synchronized the activity of cell functions in the stromal landscape of the tissue microenvironment with the help of spatial architectonics, including the formation of cell chains and the creation of fibrous niches. In MCs, the expression of specific proteases, TGF-β, and heparin increased, with targeted secretion of biologically active substances relative to the dermal elastic fibers, which had specific structural features in MFS, including abnormal variability in thickness along their entire length, alternating thickened and thinned areas, and uneven surface topography. This paper discusses the potential role of MCs in strain analysis (tensometry) of the tissue microenvironment in MFS. Thus, the quantitative and qualitative rearrangements of the skin MC population in MFS are aimed at altering the stromal landscape of the connective tissue. The results obtained should be taken into account when managing clinical signs of MFS manifested in other pathogenetically critical structures of internal organs, including the aorta, tendons, cartilage, and parenchymal organs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 1252 KiB  
Review
The Role of Endogenous Specialized Proresolving Mediators in Mast Cells and Their Involvement in Inflammation and Resolution
by Nobuyuki Fukuishi, Kentaro Takahama, Hiromasa Kurosaki, Sayaka Ono and Haruka Asai
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(4), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041491 - 11 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 772
Abstract
Many polyunsaturated fatty acids within cells exhibit diverse physiological functions. Particularly, arachidonic acid is the precursor of highly bioactive prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are pro-inflammatory mediators. However, polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic, docosahexaenoic, and eicosapentaenoic acids, can be metabolized into specialized proresolving [...] Read more.
Many polyunsaturated fatty acids within cells exhibit diverse physiological functions. Particularly, arachidonic acid is the precursor of highly bioactive prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are pro-inflammatory mediators. However, polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic, docosahexaenoic, and eicosapentaenoic acids, can be metabolized into specialized proresolving mediators (SPMs), which have anti-inflammatory properties. Given that pro-inflammatory mediators and SPMs are produced via similar enzymatic pathways, SPMs can play a crucial role in mitigating excessive tissue damage induced by inflammation. Mast cells are immune cells that are widely distributed and strategically positioned at interfaces with the external environment, such as the skin and mucosa. As immune system sentinels, they respond to harmful pathogens and foreign substances. Upon activation, mast cells release various pro-inflammatory mediators, initiating an inflammatory response. Furthermore, these cells secrete factors that promote tissue repair and inhibit inflammation. This dual function positions mast cells as central regulators, balancing between the body’s defense mechanisms and the need to minimize tissue injury. This review investigates the production of SPMs by mast cells and their subsequent effects on these cells. By elucidating the intricate relationship between mast cells and SPMs, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism by which these cells regulate the delicate balance between tissue damage and repair at inflammatory sites, ultimately contributing to the resolution of inflammatory responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 864 KiB  
Review
Mast Cells in Allergic and Non-Allergic Upper Airways Diseases: Sentinel in the Watchtower
by Giovanni Costanzo, Marta Marchetti, Andrea Giovanni Ledda, Giada Sambugaro, Martina Bullita, Giovanni Paoletti, Enrico Heffler, Davide Firinu and Giulia Anna Maria Luigia Costanzo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12615; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312615 - 24 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1523
Abstract
Mast cells are immune system cells with the most disparate functions, but are also among the least understood. Mast cells are implicated in several known pathological processes, tissue homeostasis, and wound repair. However, they owe their notoriety to allergic diseases, of which they [...] Read more.
Mast cells are immune system cells with the most disparate functions, but are also among the least understood. Mast cells are implicated in several known pathological processes, tissue homeostasis, and wound repair. However, they owe their notoriety to allergic diseases, of which they represent the effector cell par excellence. In both allergic and not upper airway pathologies, mast cells play a key role. Exploring the mechanisms through which these cells carry out their physiological and pathological function may help us give a new perspective on existing therapies and identify new ones. A focus will be placed on non-allergic rhinitis, a poorly recognized and often neglected condition with complex management, where the role of the mast cell is crucial in the pathogenetic, clinical, and prognostic aspects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mast Cells in Immunity and Disease: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop