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Blood Cells in Human Health and Disease
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Blood Cells in Human Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 2196

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Leonid Livshits

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Galilee Research Institute (MIGAL), Kiryat Shmona, Israel
2. Faculty of Sciences, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, Israel
Interests: physiological; biophysical; red blood cells; RBCs; metabolic complications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Red blood cells (RBCs, or erythrocytes) are phenomenal cells whose functional responsibility is far from limited to oxygen delivery to the tissues of our body. The unique properties of the RBC membrane and cytoskeleton components, as well as the molecular interactions and regulation of hemoglobin and other cytosolic molecules, precisely determine their unique functionality in transporting respiratory gases and physiological regulations. It is evident that RBC physiological and biophysical features are drastically altered under numerous inherited and pathological conditions (e.g., congenital hemoglobinopathies, cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities, infections) and aging (in vivo and during storage). These aspects are at the top of dynamic, interdisciplinary, and multifaceted RBC research. We are pleased to share that we have opened a Special Issue dedicated to novel studies of the biochemical, hemodynamic, and biophysical properties of RBCs. State-of-the-art novel findings about the interaction of erythrocytes with external factors and the implications of this exposure in health will be welcome. These issues can be discussed from an experimental, clinical, or numerical point of view.

Dr. Leonid Livshits
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

  • red blood cell
  • RBC membrane
  • RBC biophysical properties
  • RBC rheology
  • RBC mechanical properties
  • RBC membrane vesiculation
  • RBC clearance
  • RBC in diabetes
  • hemoglobinopathies
  • RBC storage
 

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3978 KiB  
Article
Cepharanthine Promotes Ca2+-Independent Premature Red Blood Cell Death Through Metabolic Insufficiency and p38 MAPK/CK1α/COX/MLKL/PKC/iNOS Signaling
by Shaymah H. Alruwaili, Jawaher Alsughayyir and Mohammad A. Alfhili
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7250; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157250 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 274
Abstract
Nonspecific toxicity to normal and malignant cells restricts the clinical utility of many anticancer drugs. In particular, anemia in cancer patients develops due to drug-induced toxicity to red blood cells (RBCs). The anticancer alkaloid, cepharanthine (CEP), elicits distinct forms of cell death including [...] Read more.
Nonspecific toxicity to normal and malignant cells restricts the clinical utility of many anticancer drugs. In particular, anemia in cancer patients develops due to drug-induced toxicity to red blood cells (RBCs). The anticancer alkaloid, cepharanthine (CEP), elicits distinct forms of cell death including apoptosis and autophagy, but its cytotoxicity to RBCs has not been investigated. Colorimetric and fluorometric techniques were used to assess eryptosis and hemolysis in control and CEP-treated RBCs. Cells were labeled with Fluo4/AM and annexin-V-FITC to measure Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, respectively. Forward scatter (FSC) was detected to estimate cell size, and extracellular hemoglobin along with lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase activities were assayed to quantify hemolysis. Physiological manipulation of the extracellular milieu and various signaling inhibitors were tested to dissect the underlying mechanisms of CEP-induced RBC death. CEP increased PS exposure and hemolysis indices and decreased FSC in a concentration-dependent manner with prominent membrane blebbing. Although no Ca2+ elevation was detected, chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by BAPTA-AM reduced hemolysis. Whereas SB203580, D4476, acetylsalicylic acid, necrosulfonamide, and melatonin inhibited both PS exposure and hemolysis, staurosporin, L-NAME, ascorbate, caffeine, adenine, and guanosine only prevented hemolysis. Interestingly, sucrose had a unique dual effect by exacerbating PS exposure and reversing hemolysis. Of note, blocking KCl efflux augmented PS exposure while aggravating hemolysis only under Ca2+-depleted conditions. CEP activates Ca2+-independent pathways to promote eryptosis and hemolysis. The complex cytotoxic profile of CEP can be mitigated by targeting the identified modulatory pathways to potentiate its anticancer efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blood Cells in Human Health and Disease)
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17 pages, 5434 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Safety of Intravenous Injections of the Natural Extracellular Hemoglobin M101 in Dogs and Monkeys
by Elisabeth Leize-Zal, Leïla Demini, Benoît Barrou and Franck Zal
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(2), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26020842 - 20 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1181
Abstract
Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers have been developed to compensate the needs of blood for transfusions. Most of them were based on intracellular hemoglobin extracted from bovine or human blood, but unfortunately, this type of hemoglobin did not pass through the last steps of clinical [...] Read more.
Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers have been developed to compensate the needs of blood for transfusions. Most of them were based on intracellular hemoglobin extracted from bovine or human blood, but unfortunately, this type of hemoglobin did not pass through the last steps of clinical trials. In this context, HEMARINA discovered a natural extracellular hemoglobin, possessing several advantages avoiding intracellular hemoglobin-related side effects. Many preclinical studies assessed the safety of M101 used in intravenous (IV) injection in rodents. To explore the safety of IV injections of M101 in large mammals, six dogs received each a single injection of liquid M101 according to a dose escalation with a 48 h follow-up. Then, two monkeys received multiple IV injections of the same dose of M101 every hour for seven hours. This study showed that single and multiple IV injections in dogs and monkeys did not cause clinical or histological lesions, nor did they induce immunological reactions. This makes M101 the best candidate to date for human use in emergency situations requiring blood and, in several diseases, causing hypoxia problems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blood Cells in Human Health and Disease)
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