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Natural Product-Based Therapeutics: Molecular Mechanisms and Cellular Modulation

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1030

Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, CIMA-Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
2. Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
3. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: chronic pain; neuropathic pain; inflammatory pain; analgesia; epigenetics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural product-based therapeutics have re-emerged as a vital area of biomedical research, offering diverse chemical scaffolds and bioactive molecules with unique pharmacological properties. This Special Issue, “Natural Product-Based Therapeutics: Molecular Mechanisms and Cellular Modulation,” aims to showcase recent advances in the discovery, characterization, and biomedical application of natural compounds derived from plants, marine organisms, microorganisms, and other biological sources.

We invite contributions that explore how natural products interact with specific molecular targets, modulate signaling pathways, and influence cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune regulation. Studies that integrate modern technologies—including proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, computational modeling, and structure–activity relationship (SAR) analyses—are particularly encouraged. We also welcome research addressing therapeutic potential in disease contexts such as cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases.

This Special Issue will feature original research articles, reviews, and short communications that provide mechanistic insights and highlight translational potential. Studies on formulation strategies, bioavailability enhancement, and synergistic effects with conventional drugs are also relevant. By bringing together interdisciplinary research, this Issue aims to advance the development of safe, effective, and targeted natural product-based therapies for clinical use.

Dr. Mario Garcia-Dominguez
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-anonymized 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
  • molecular mechanisms
  • cellular modulation
  • molecular targets

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

36 pages, 985 KB  
Review
The Role of Vitamin D in Neuropathic Pain: Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Relevance
by Mario García-Domínguez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(11), 4671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114671 - 22 May 2026
Viewed by 721
Abstract
Neuropathic pain remains a major clinical challenge due to its complex pathophysiology and limited treatment efficacy. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D, beyond its classical role in bone and mineral metabolism, exerts neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects that may influence pain perception. This review [...] Read more.
Neuropathic pain remains a major clinical challenge due to its complex pathophysiology and limited treatment efficacy. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D, beyond its classical role in bone and mineral metabolism, exerts neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects that may influence pain perception. This review synthesizes current findings on the relationship between vitamin D status and neuropathic pain, highlighting potential mechanisms such as modulation of neuroinflammation, regulation of neuronal excitability, and influence on neurotransmitter pathways. Observational studies frequently report an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased pain severity, while interventional trials indicate that supplementation may alleviate neuropathic symptoms in specific populations. However, results remain heterogeneous, and mechanistic studies are still emerging. Understanding the interplay between vitamin D and neuropathic pain could open new avenues for adjunctive therapeutic strategies and personalized medicine approaches. Further high-quality clinical trials and mechanistic research are warranted to clarify causality and optimize clinical applications. Full article
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