Dietary Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes: Current Evidence and Emerging Perspectives on Underlying Molecular Mechanisms
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: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The current epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus, together with the alarming rise in overweight and obesity rates, has intensified research efforts aimed at identifying effective interventions. Despite the recent availability of several pharmacological treatments for diabetes and weight management, lifestyle modification remains the cornerstone of treatment. Growing evidence suggests a role of different dietary patterns and nutrients in metabolic diseases, while the complex interplay between diet, metabolism, and the gut microbiome is becoming increasingly evident. In parallel, molecular-level studies are shedding light on how specific nutrients regulate glucose and lipid metabolism through pathways involving insulin signaling, mitochondrial bioenergetics, oxidative stress responses, inflammatory mediators, and nutrient-sensing regulators. These insights are clarifying how dietary exposures modulate adipose tissue biology and glucose metabolism, offering mechanistic foundations for tailored nutritional strategies and personalized nutrition, with the ultimate goal of curbing the growing diabetes epidemic.
Considerable effort has been made toward the identification and development of dietary interventions that exert beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes and its related comorbidities. By collecting high-quality contributions, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advances, discoveries, and progress across all areas of nutrition in diabetology—from clinical outcomes to cellular and molecular mechanisms.
We encourage the submission of original research papers as well as review articles addressing nutritional intervention in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Manuscripts exploring innovative strategies—such as nutrient modulation, dietary targeting of molecular pathways, or optimization of meal timing—are particularly encouraged.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Dietary patterns targeting specific metabolic and molecular aspects in type 2 diabetes;
- The role of the gut microbiome in modulating dietary response and individual health;
- Personalized nutrition approaches;
- Epigenetic, transcriptomic, and other molecular mechanisms linking nutrition and metabolic disease;
- Future directions in medical nutritional therapy;
- Sustainability of different dietary approaches.
Dr. Caterina Formichi
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- type 2 diabetes
- nutritional intervention
- dietary strategies
- nutrients
- personalized nutrition
- diet
- metabolic health
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