Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.0
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Skin Diseases (Second Edition)
ijms-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Skin Diseases (Second Edition)

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 January 2026 | Viewed by 1714

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elisabetta Palazzo

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Interests: skin cancer; squamous cell carcinoma; psoriasis; epidermal homeostasis; keratinocyte stem cells; epidermal differentiation; skin inflammation; mouse models; zebrafish models; skin in vitro 3D models; skin tumor spheroids; next-generation sequencing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, enormous progress has been made in providing a thorough characterization of dermatological diseases at both the molecular and cellular levels; this is due to the identification of new molecular mechanisms and increasingly technological experimental approaches used for their study.

In particular, the detailed analysis of cell metabolism, proliferation, and differentiation has allowed us to define more accurately cell populations with specific functions, both in the health and pathological contexts. Moreover, the development of new technologies, including NGS and gene editing methods, allows us to decipher the necessary information for obtaining concrete applications for the therapeutical responses that each skin disease needs.

Considering the above facts, this Special Issue is open to receiving research papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries related to novel insights into healthy and pathological skin cell and tissue biology, including metabolomic, transcriptomic, or proteomic aspects, as well as inflammation. The use of novel tools, both in vitro and in vivo, such as three-dimensional approaches, is encouraged.

Dr. Elisabetta Palazzo
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

  • hyperproliferative skin diseases
  • psoriasis
  • keratinocyte carcinoma
  • actinic keratosis
  • atopic dermatitis
  • skin inflammation
  • inflammation-associated skin diseases
  • epidermal differentiation
  • epidermal cell metabolism
  • 3D models
  • in vivo models

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.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 3752 KiB  
Article
Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors-Associated Skin Lesions
by Mara-Mădălina Mihai, Iuliana Anghelescu, Alina Maria Holban, Irina Gheorghe-Barbu, Mariana-Carmen Chifiriuc, Lia-Mara Dițu, Cornelia-Ioana Ilie, Dan Anghelescu and Beatrice Bălăceanu-Gurău
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(14), 6595; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146595 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 331
Abstract
Cutaneous adverse reactions (CARs) are common complications of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor therapy, with papulopustular eruptions and paronychia being the most frequent. Growing scientific evidence implies that Staphylococcus aureus is involved in the pathogenesis of these reactions. This observational prospective study [...] Read more.
Cutaneous adverse reactions (CARs) are common complications of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor therapy, with papulopustular eruptions and paronychia being the most frequent. Growing scientific evidence implies that Staphylococcus aureus is involved in the pathogenesis of these reactions. This observational prospective study characterized 42 S. aureus strains isolated from CARs, analyzing antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, soluble virulence factors, and virulence/resistance genes using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). S. aureus was identified in 90% of lesions; in 33% of cases, nasal and skin isolates were genetically identical. High resistance rates were noted for penicillins (85%) and tetracyclines (57%), while all strains remained susceptible to fluoroquinolones, vancomycin, and rifampicin. All isolates formed biofilms, and DNase/esculinase production significantly correlated with CAR severity. An enzymatic score based on these markers was associated with an 18-fold increased risk of severe reactions. Genotypically, clfA and clfB were prevalent (85.7%), while exotoxin genes were less common. These findings support a key role for S. aureus in exacerbating CARs via antibiotic resistance, biofilm production, and the expression of virulence factor. Additionally, we emphasize the role of routine microbial screening—including nasal swabs—and therapy guided by antibiograms. Furthermore, the enzymatic score may further be validated as a predictive biomarker. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Skin Diseases (Second Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1462 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Profiling of Lesional and Perilesional Skin in Atopic Dermatitis Suggests Barrier Dysfunction, Inflammatory Activation, and Alterations to Vitamin D Metabolism
by Teresa Grieco, Giovanni Paolino, Elisa Moliterni, Camilla Chello, Alvise Sernicola, Colin Gerard Egan, Mariangela Morelli, Fabrizio Nannipieri, Santina Battaglia, Marina Accoto, Erika Tirotta, Silvia Trasciatti, Silvano Bonaretti, Giovanni Pellacani and Stefano Calvieri
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(13), 6152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136152 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by impaired barrier function and immune dysregulation. This study explores transcriptomic differences between lesional (IL) and perilesional (PL) skin in patients with AD, focusing on barrier-related and vitamin D-associated pathways. RNA sequencing was [...] Read more.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by impaired barrier function and immune dysregulation. This study explores transcriptomic differences between lesional (IL) and perilesional (PL) skin in patients with AD, focusing on barrier-related and vitamin D-associated pathways. RNA sequencing was performed on matched IL and PL biopsies from 21 adults with moderate-to-severe AD. Differential gene expression, pathway enrichment, and correlation analysis with clinical variables were assessed. A total of 8817 genes were differentially expressed in IL versus PL skin (padj < 0.05). Among genes with the highest level of dysregulation, strong upregulation was observed for inflammatory mediators (IL-19, IL-8, CXCL6), and epidermal remodeling and barrier-disrupting genes (MMP1, GJB2). The vitamin D pathway genes CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 were also significantly upregulated. In contrast, key barrier-related genes such as FLG2 and CGNL1 were markedly downregulated. While some patterns in gene expression showed subgroup-specific trends, no independent clinical predictors emerged in multivariate models. Reactome pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of pathways involved in keratinization, cornified envelope formation, IL-4/IL-13 signaling, chemokine activity, and antimicrobial responses, highlighting coordinated structural and immunologic dysregulation in lesional skin. Lesional skin in AD displays a distinct transcriptomic profile marked by barrier impairment, heightened inflammatory signaling, and activation of vitamin D-related pathways. These findings provide the first RNA-seq-based comparison of IL and adjacent PL skin in AD. We identify subclinical activation in PL skin and vitamin D pathway upregulation with disrupted gene coordination in lesions. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation in AD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Skin Diseases (Second Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 5528 KiB  
Article
IL-17 Ligand and Receptor Family Members Are Differentially Expressed by Keratinocyte Subpopulations and Modulate Their Differentiation and Inflammatory Phenotype
by Elisabetta Palazzo, Roberta Lotti, Marika Quadri, Carlo Pincelli and Alessandra Marconi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 2989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26072989 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 794
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by dysregulation of the interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling axis. Given that psoriasis development depends on keratinocyte stem cells and early progenitors’ sensitivity to differentiation, we analyzed IL-17 ligands and the expression and function of in [...] Read more.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by dysregulation of the interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling axis. Given that psoriasis development depends on keratinocyte stem cells and early progenitors’ sensitivity to differentiation, we analyzed IL-17 ligands and the expression and function of in a novel subset of keratinocyte subpopulations: keratinocyte stem cells (KSC) and early and late Transit Amplifying (ETA or LTA, respectively) cells. We found that all subpopulations expressed all IL-17 variants, predominantly in ETA and LTA. Conversely, IL-17 receptor expression resulted in more heterogeneity, with IL-17RA, -C, and -E being the most differentially regulated. Stimulus with IL-17A, IL-17-F, IL-17-A/F, and IL-17C promotes the upregulation of CXCL1, CXCL8, and DEFB4 mRNAs expression in both KSC and ETA. Moreover, IL-17A and IL-17A/F mainly decrease KSC proliferation and promote cell cycle block. Globally, IL-17A and IL-17A/F modulated the expression of proliferation, differentiation, and psoriasis-associated markers. Furthermore, KSC- and ETA-derived 3D reconstructions displayed increased epidermal thickness and upregulated KRT16 expression after treatment with IL-17A or IL-17A/F. Therefore, our data demonstrated that IL-17 family members perform distinctive functions in a specific keratinocyte subpopulation and define IL-17 signaling as a critical modulator of KSC behavior, proving its role in epidermal homeostasis dysregulation of psoriasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Skin Diseases (Second Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop