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Understanding Aging in Health and Disease
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Understanding Aging in Health and Disease

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 10875

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Laura Cianfruglia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
Interests: aging; oxidative stress; molecular mechanism; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ageing is a gradual and irreversible pathophysiological process influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and social factors. It is characterised by a decline in the function of tissues and cells, often accompanied by an increased risk of age-related diseases. Important changes in ageing involve alterations in the immune system and its components, a phenomenon known as immunosenescence. Additionally, senescence cells are characterised by a specific phenotype known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which results from the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators. Together, these factors contribute to “inflammaging”—a chronic, low-grade inflammation that has been demonstrated to play a significant role in the progression of ageing and in age-related diseases.

This Special Issue will be focused on the ageing process both in health and disease. We invite contributions that investigate the roles of immunosenescence, inflammaging, and oxidative stress in ageing, as well as how these mechanisms are altered in pathological conditions. In addition, we welcome studies exploring how various lifestyle strategies can influence immune, redox, and inflammatory states in the context of ageing.

Dr. Laura Cianfruglia
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 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-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

  • immunosenescence
  • age-related disease
  • ageing
  • oxidative stress
  • inflammaging

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 492 KB  
Communication
A Twin Study on the Relation Between Positive Mental Health and Biological Aging
by Corrado Fagnani, Angelo Picardi, Emanuela Medda, Miriam Salemi, Cristina D’Ippolito, Ester Siniscalchi, Francesca Salani, Giorgia M. Varalda and Francesca Marcon
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(9), 3729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27093729 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 197
Abstract
Positive mental health (PMH) has recently become a key topic in biomedical research. Previous studies have explored the correlation between biological and psychological measures, but only a few have focused on the relationship between PMH and aging. This study aimed: (i) to explore [...] Read more.
Positive mental health (PMH) has recently become a key topic in biomedical research. Previous studies have explored the correlation between biological and psychological measures, but only a few have focused on the relationship between PMH and aging. This study aimed: (i) to explore the association between PMH and biological aging; (ii) to determine if and to what extent the observed association could be explained by shared genetic and environmental effects. A total of 401 twins (age 19–81 years, 32% male) from the Italian Twin Registry were recruited, and the twin study design was applied. A self-report psychological test battery was used to evaluate several PMH components. Blood samples were collected from participants to determine telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn). TL was negatively associated with attachment anxiety (r = −0.11, p = 0.037). A bivariate twin model provided heritability estimates of 0.14 (95% CI 0.001–0.43) for TL and 0.32 (0.16–0.45) for attachment anxiety, and a substantial negative genetic correlation [rg = −0.55 (−1.00–0.00)] between them. Under the limitations of a cross-sectional study with a self-report wellbeing assessment, these results suggest that anxiety in a relationship with a partner may contribute to accelerated TL shortening, and shared genetic factors may underlie this link. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Aging in Health and Disease)
34 pages, 27180 KB  
Article
Lifetime Variations in Prolactin Expression in the Hippocampus and Dentate Gyrus of the Rat
by Marta Carretero-Hernández, Elisa Herráez, Leonardo Catalano-Iniesta, David Hernández-González, David Díez-Castro, Ana E. Rodríguez-Vicente, Josefa García-Barrado, Teresa Vicente-García, Miguel Robles-García, Enrique J. Blanco and José Carretero
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157299 - 28 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1613
Abstract
Prolactin is a hormone with demonstrated roles in the brain, including neurogenesis, neuroprotection, learning, stress response or memory consolidation. To determine the prolactin expression in the rat hippocampus during aging and to resolve some controversies related to the presence of prolactin in the [...] Read more.
Prolactin is a hormone with demonstrated roles in the brain, including neurogenesis, neuroprotection, learning, stress response or memory consolidation. To determine the prolactin expression in the rat hippocampus during aging and to resolve some controversies related to the presence of prolactin in the hippocampus, the aim of this study was to analyze whether changes occur in the expression of prolactin during different stages of life. To determine this, we designed an experimental study in which we analyzed the expression and location of prolactin in the rat hippocampus, Ammon’s horn and Dentate Gyrus, during different stages of life (prepubertal, postpubertal, young adult, adult and old) and checked if there are differences related to sex. Overall, the results obtained show that prolactin is present in the rat hippocampus and that prolactin is synthesized, as deduced from the findings obtained via ELISA, immunohistochemistry, qPCR and in situ hybridization. After analyzing the correlation between serum and hippocampal prolactin levels and comparing the amounts of Prl mRNA and the hormone, the results obtained suggest that hippocampal prolactin has a dual origin: local synthesis of the hormone and its passage from the blood. On the other hand, the amounts of prolactin and its mRNA in the hippocampus vary with sex and age, suggesting the existence of age-related sexual dimorphism. The results obtained suggest that hippocampal aging is related to a decrease in the hippocampal prolactin system, which helps to better understand brain aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Aging in Health and Disease)
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Review

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31 pages, 4843 KB  
Review
Glucocorticoid-Mediated Skeletal Muscle Atrophy: Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets
by Uttapol Permpoon, Jiyeong Moon, Chul Young Kim and Tae-gyu Nam
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7616; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157616 - 6 Aug 2025
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 8471
Abstract
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a critical health issue affecting the quality of life of elderly individuals and patients with chronic diseases. These conditions induce dysregulation of glucocorticoid (GC) secretion. GCs play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis in the stress response and glucose [...] Read more.
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a critical health issue affecting the quality of life of elderly individuals and patients with chronic diseases. These conditions induce dysregulation of glucocorticoid (GC) secretion. GCs play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis in the stress response and glucose metabolism. However, prolonged exposure to GC is directly linked to muscle atrophy, which is characterized by a reduction in muscle size and weight, particularly affecting fast-twitch muscle fibers. The GC-activated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) decreases protein synthesis and facilitates protein breakdown. Numerous antagonists have been developed to mitigate GC-induced muscle atrophy, including 11β-HSD1 inhibitors and myostatin and activin receptor blockers. However, the clinical trial results have fallen short of the expected efficacy. Recently, several emerging pathways and targets have been identified. For instance, GC-induced sirtuin 6 isoform (SIRT6) expression suppresses AKT/mTORC1 signaling. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) cooperates with the GR for the transcription of atrogenes. The kynurenine pathway and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1) also play crucial roles in protein synthesis and energy production in skeletal muscle. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the complexities of GR transactivation and transrepression will provide new strategies for the discovery of novel drugs to overcome the detrimental effects of GCs on muscle tissues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Aging in Health and Disease)
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