ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

The Role of Cytokines in Inflammation and Diseases

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1295

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation is one of the largest biological responses resulting from the interaction of organs with the innate and acquired immune systems. Large amounts of inflammatory cytokines are produced, affecting organs throughout the body. Severe and prolonged inflammation can cause functional and organic damage to other organs, including the cerebral cardiovascular system, liver, and kidneys, and can be fatal. Along with a clear understanding of the mechanisms of these inflammations, the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents is eagerly awaited.

Severe inflammatory diseases may be strongly associated with systemic complications, such as atherosclerosis, abnormal lipid metabolism, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nephrosclerosis, systemic amyloidosis, and nervous system diseases. Thus, elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease and the close relationship between inflammation and systemic complications may also be an area of research. Against this background, clinical evidence and research findings focusing on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of inflammation and inflammatory diseases are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Keiichi Yamanaka
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

  • inflammation
  • cytokine
  • complication
  • systemic inflammation
  • internal organ

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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

23 pages, 866 KB  
Review
The Role of IL-17 in Periodontitis and Its Systemic Connections
by Tobias Bonsmann, Martyna Mochol, Ewa Bonsmann, Lukasz Jablonowski, Andrzej Pawlik, Joanna Rasławska-Socha, Mariusz Lipski and Małgorzata Mazurek-Mochol
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 10902; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262210902 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1109
Abstract
Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a crucial mediator at the interface of periodontal dysbiosis and host immunity. This review synthesizes current evidence on IL-17 in periodontitis (PD), its systemic connections, and the role of IL-17 gene variants. Clinical and experimental studies show that IL-17 [...] Read more.
Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a crucial mediator at the interface of periodontal dysbiosis and host immunity. This review synthesizes current evidence on IL-17 in periodontitis (PD), its systemic connections, and the role of IL-17 gene variants. Clinical and experimental studies show that IL-17 rises in periodontal disease and is associated with the severity of PD via action on epithelial, stromal and osteoblastic cells to promote chemokine release, neutrophil recruitment, cyclooxygenase 2 and prostaglandin E2 synthesis, RANKL expression, osteoclastogenesis, and matrix metalloproteinase activity. Periodontopathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans pre-activate the local inflammation-maintaining Th17 response. There is converging evidence linking IL-17-centered signaling with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and psoriasis in favor of a shared inflammatory network in barrier tissues and synovium. Despite these associations, IL-17 biology is contextually determined with mucosal defense and bone homeostatic roles that caution against unidimensional explanations. Evidence on IL-17A and IL-17F polymorphisms is still heterogeneous across populations with modest and variable risk associations with PD. Clinically, IL-17 in gingival crevicular fluid, saliva, or serum is a potential monitoring biomarker when utilized along with conventional indices. Therapeutically, periodontal therapy that reduces microbial burden may inhibit IL-17 function, and IL-17-targeted therapy has to balance potential benefit to inflammation and bone resorption against safety in oral tissues. The following research must utilize harmonized case definitions, standardized sampling, and multiethnic cohorts, and it must include multiomics to be able to differentiate between causal and compensatory IL-17 signals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Cytokines in Inflammation and Diseases)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop