Advances in Calcium Signaling: Physiological Roles and Implications for Disease
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: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 34
Special Issue Editors
Interests: skeletal muscle; smooth muscle; intracellular calcium regulation; calcium homeostasis
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Calcium ions (Ca²⁺) play a central role as universal second messengers in virtually all cell types, regulating a wide range of physiological processes, including muscle contraction, secretion, metabolism, gene expression, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The precise spatiotemporal regulation of intracellular calcium signaling is essential for normal cellular function, while its dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to numerous pathological conditions, including muscular disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.
Recent advances in molecular biology, imaging technologies, and electrophysiological approaches have significantly expanded our understanding of calcium signaling pathways, calcium-handling proteins, and organelle-specific calcium dynamics. However, important questions remain regarding the integration of calcium signaling with cellular metabolism, redox balance, mechanical signaling, and disease progression.
We are pleased to invite researchers in this field to contribute original research articles and comprehensive reviews to this Special Issue. We aim to provide an integrative overview of current research on calcium signaling mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, with a particular emphasis on their physiological roles and implications for human disease; manuscripts related to the genetic regulation of calcium signaling pathways and calcium-dependent regulation of gene expression are also welcome. In direct alignment with the scope of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, this Special Issue will address fundamental theoretical problems of broad interest in biology and/or medicine.
The scope encompasses research across molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, with relevance to both muscle and non-muscle systems. Manuscripts addressing the molecular regulation of calcium-handling proteins, calcium-sensitive transcriptional pathways, organelle-specific calcium dynamics, and the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that shape calcium-dependent physiological and pathological responses will be considered.
Original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance mechanistic understanding, introduce novel theoretical concepts, or report transformative experimental methodologies in calcium signaling and gene regulation are welcome.
Possible research areas include the following:
- Molecular mechanisms of intracellular calcium signaling and homeostasis;
- Calcium channels, pumps, and exchangers (e.g., RyR, IP₃R, SERCA, PMCA, NCX);
- Organelle-specific calcium dynamics (sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes);
- Calcium signaling in skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle physiology;
- Role of calcium signaling in muscle plasticity, fatigue, aging, and disease;
- Calcium-dependent signaling pathways and gene regulation;
- Calcium dysregulation in metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuromuscular diseases;
- Interactions between calcium signaling, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function;
- Pharmacological modulation of calcium signaling pathways;
- Emerging experimental and computational approaches in calcium signaling research.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Adán Dagnino-Acosta
Dr. Luis Castro-Sánchez
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.
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Keywords
- calcium signaling
- intracellular calcium
- calcium homeostasis
- calcium channels
- muscle physiology
- signal transduction
- calcium-related diseases
- mitochondrial calcium
- genetic control of calcium signaling
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