Serum Albumin in Health and Disease: From Comparative Biochemistry to Translational Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

It is a well-known fact that serum albumin is one of the main proteins in the human body and many animal species. It plays a decisive role in the transport of various ions, electrically neutral and charged molecules, and in maintaining the colloidal osmotic pressure of the blood. Albumin is able to bind almost all known drugs, many nutraceuticals and toxic substances, largely determining their pharmaco- and toxicokinetics. However, albumin is not only passive but also an active participant of pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic, processes possessing a number of enzymatic activities. Numerous experiments have shown esterase or pseudoesterase activity of albumin towards a number of endogenous and exogenous esters. Moreover, it is an important participant of toxico- and pharmacodynamics, and serves as a predictor of outcome for many pathologies being one of the principal biomarker in diagnostics. Due to the free thiol group, albumin can serve as a trap for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, thus participating in redox processes. Glycated albumin makes a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of diabetes and other diseases. The interaction of albumin with blood cells, blood vessels and tissue cells outside the vascular bed is of great importance. Interaction with endothelial glycocalyx and vascular endothelial cells largely determines the integrative role of albumin.

However, despite experimental and clinical evidence, many molecular and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of albumin activity remain to be fully elucidated. Albumin of humans and representatives of cattle and rodents have their own structural features that determine the species differences in their functional properties, which gives rise to the problem of how to adequately interpret the experimental data obtained with purified albumins in vitro or with laboratory animals in vivo. Hence the need to fill this knowledge gap in order to devise adequate experimental methodology, and clinically successful diagnostics and treatment strategies for humans.

This Special Issue aims at expanding the current knowledge on serum albumin in both physiological and pathological conditions. Experimental studies in in vitro and in vivo models, review articles, as well as clinical studies, are all welcomed for consideration. Please keep in mind that IJMS is a journal of molecular science, thus pure clinical studies will not be suitable for this Special Issue. Nevertheless, clinical submissions with novel biomolecular experiments and/or interpretations are welcomed.

Dr. Nikolay V. Goncharov
Dr. Richard O. Jenkins
Dr. Daria Belinskaia
Guest Editors

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