Natural Products in Immune Regulation
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: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editor
Interests: inflammation; macrophage; cytokine; herbal medicine; nitric oxide; CHOP; ER stress; immunity; infection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Natural products derived from plants, fungi, and marine organisms play an important role in modulating immune responses. These bioactive compounds affect both innate and adaptive immunity by modulating the activity of immune cells such as macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. Key mechanisms include the suppression of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6) and the enhancement of anti-inflammatory pathways, often mediated through the NF-Bκ, MAPK, JAK-STAT, and calcium-CHOP signaling cascades.
Notable compounds such as baicalein, quercetin, wogonin, curcumin, resveratrol, and ginsenosides have demonstrated immunomodulatory effects in preclinical and clinical studies. These natural substances support immune balance not only in inflammatory control but also in autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancer immunotherapy. Some compounds act as immunostimulants, while others act as immunosuppressants, depending on the context and dose.
Recent advances in omics technologies, systems biology, molecular docking studies, and AI-based informatics have enabled the identification of immune-related targets from natural products, facilitating drug discovery and integrative medicine approaches. Overall, natural products are a valuable source for developing safe and effective immunomodulatory therapies, offering potential in both preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Prof. Dr. Wansu Park
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 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
- natural products
- immune responses
- immunomodulatory therapies
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.
