Advances in the Integrin System: Relevance of Receptors, Ligands, and Counter-Receptors in Signaling and Pathophysiology
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: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editors
Interests: integrins; adhesion molecules; tetraspanins; extracellular vesicles; cancer metastasis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: endothelial cells; dendritic cells; endoglin; integrins; TGF-β receptors; vascular pathology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Integrin members constitute a key family of proteins involved in adhesion phenomena by connecting cells to: (i) ligands in the extracellular matrix; (ii) counter-receptors in other cells; (iii) ligands in pathogenic organisms (viruses, bacteria, protists, multicellular parasites); or (iv) soluble ligands expressed by blood cells. Integrins are cell surface heterodimers composed of the non-covalent association of alpha and beta subunits. In vertebrates, the combination of 14 α subunits and 8 β subunits gives rise to, at least, 24 different integrins, all of which may adopt different conformational states and must be activated in order to bind their ligands or counter-receptors. This binding engagement triggers multiple signaling pathways involved in key cellular processes like adhesion, migration, cytoskeleton organization, proliferation, survival and angiogenesis. The functional deregulation of integrins or their ligands and counter-receptors can have relevant pathophysiological consequences, including human pathologies like cardiovascular, inflammatory, and respiratory diseases, immunodeficiencies, abnormal hemostasis or cancer.
This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, “Advances in the Integrin System: Relevance of Receptors, Ligands, and Counter-Receptors in Signaling and Pathophysiology”, will focus on the role of integrins, as well as their ligands and counter-receptors, in intracellular signaling, cellular and physiological function, and human pathologies and their related therapeutic strategies. Authors are invited to submit original research and review articles addressing fundamental aspects of integrin function, including conformational changes, mechanisms of activation and signaling, and the structural basis of integrin–ligand interactions. Submissions focusing on the role of these adhesion molecules in human diseases are also encouraged, particularly those highlighting how integrins can be targeted to improve the treatment of integrin-related conditions.
The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the current state of the field of integrin signaling, function and relevance in pathophysiology, particularly in aspects related to the following:
- Integrin signalling pathways
- Integrin conformational changes and activation
- Cellular and physiological functions of integrins
- Integrins in human disease and therapeutic approaches
- Molecular basis of integrin-ligand interactions
- Counter-receptors of integrins
- Binding of integrins to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins
- Cytokines as ligands of integrins
All submitted articles will undergo a peer review.
Dr. Carlos Cabañas
Prof. Dr. Carmelo Bernabeu
Guest Editors
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
- integrin function
- integrin signalling pathways
- integrin conformational changes
- integrin disease and therapeutic strategies
- integrin-ligand interactions
- integrin counter-receptors (ICRs)
- extracellular matrix (ECM) integrin ligands
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