Research of Aldo-Keto Reductases in Human Disease
A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Biochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 582
Editors
Interests: enzyme antioxidants
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily comprises NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze the reduction of a broad spectrum of carbonyl substrates, including aldehydes, ketones, quinones, and steroids. Members of this superfamily—particularly AKR1B1 (aldose reductase), AKR1B10, and the AKR1C subfamily—play pivotal roles in numerous pathophysiological processes, such as diabetic complications, tumorigenesis and cancer progression, chemoresistance, steroid hormone metabolism, lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. Recent advances in structural biology, protein engineering, molecular pharmacology, and translational medicine have substantially deepened our understanding of AKR biology and revealed new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and biocatalytic application. This Special Issue aims to cover state-of-the-art research on the basic, applied, and clinical aspects of AKRs in human disease. We invite authors to submit original articles and review articles addressing recent findings on AKR enzymology, regulation, engineering, and disease relevance. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Structural and functional characterization of AKR enzymes Protein engineering and directed evolution of AKRs for enhanced activity, stereoselectivity, or substrate specificity Rational design and semi-rational engineering of AKR active sites for biomedical and biocatalytic applications AKRs as diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic biomarkers in human cancers Roles of AKRs in chemoresistance and xenobiotic metabolism Design and evaluation of AKR inhibitors for clinical application AKRs in diabetic complications and metabolic disorders AKRs in steroid hormone metabolism and hormone-dependent diseases AKRs in oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation Genetic polymorphisms of AKRs and their clinical significance.
Dr. Ping Zhu
Guest Editor
Dr. Hao Luo
Guest Editor Assistant
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-anonymized 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
- aldo-keto reductase (AKR)
- protein engineering
- AKR1B10
- cancer biomarker
- chemoresistance
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.
