Role of the Gut-Islet Axis in and Beyond Metabolic Diseases
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 3143
Editor
2. Clinic of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Emergency County Hospital, 200642 Craiova, Romania
Interests: metabolic diseases epidemiology; biochemical and molecular biomarkers of obesity and diabetes; entero-insular axis; insulinresistance; obesity cardio-metabolic phenotypes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Metabolic diseases represent a major challenge and a public health problem worldwide, causing serious adverse health outcomes and comorbidities. Incretins are increasingly studied for their dual metabolic and neuroprotective actions, offering a bridge between weight regulation and neurodegeneration.
In recent years, the role of entero-insular axis as a critical factor in the metabolic changes associated with aging, have received great interest, driving the need for targeted therapies that are effective in the context of the age-related metabolic disturbances. Currently, modulation of the gut–islet axis is recognized as not only a metabolic therapy but also a neuropharmacological therapy, reflecting their expanding use in obesity and diabetes and the growing evidence of brain effects. Although clinical observations show concurrent weight loss and neuroprotection, isolated reports of depressive symptoms have emerged, necessitating a clearer understanding of their central safety profile.
This Special Issue will be dedicated to the molecular and mechanistic perspective of the gut–islet axis, focusing on incretin signaling pathways, receptor-mediated mechanisms and the molecular regulation of metabolic and pleiotropic effects. Key topics include the molecular mechanisms of weight loss, differentiating between central satiety signaling and peripheral gastric effects; the role of incretins in modulating the glucose, lipid and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease effects; the influence of neurotransmitter modulation on energy balance, food intake and the neuroprotective potential of incretins.
Dr. Simona Georgiana Popa
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- entero-insular axis
- adipocytokines
- precision therapy
- insulin resistance
- type 2 diabetes
- neuroprotection
- aging
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