International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Cristiana Tanase

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Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: cancer; cancer biomarkers; cancer biology; apoptosis; cell signaling; cell proliferation; molecular cell biology; cancer cell biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many complex diseases, such as brain tumors, pose a challenge to identify the most effective therapeutic interventions, because current therapies often target specific aspects of the disorders. Due to the multiple causes of such diseases and the heterogeneity of patients, approaches focused on single targets present limited efficacy, overlooking important aspects of disease pathophysiology. A promising therapeutic approach to meet this challenge is to combine different therapies, while increasing therapeutic efficacy.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight novel targeted biomarkers involved in pathophysiology of these complex diseases and further develop combinatorial therapies tailored to the needs of individuals or stratified patient groups.

The combination of conventional therapies with molecular therapies emerged from the necessity of manipulating several antitumor processes. Results from multiple studies addressing tumor resistance to targeted therapies have shown that tumors must be attacked on several fronts, enabling the development of personalized/precision medicine.

We warmly welcome submissions, including original papers and reviews. Our Special Issue will focus on, but is not restricted to:

Tumor profiling for the discovery of novel targeted biomarkers;
The role of inflammation in brain pathologies, including, but not limited to, brain tumors;
Synergistic combination treatment targeting signaling networks;
Targeting the cross-talk between cancer stem cells, cancer cells, and the tumor microenvironment;
Immunotherapy combinations in brain tumors;
Mechanisms of resistance in combined immunotherapies;
Adoptive cellular therapy in these complex diseases;
Therapeutic modulation of the gut–brain axis in brain pathologies;
Natural products—an emerging therapeutic approach in combinatorial therapy;
Combination strategies for precision medicine.

Prof. Dr. Cristiana Tanase
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

brain tumor
neuroinflammation
combinatorial therapies
novel targeted biomarkers
tumor microenvironment
immunotherapy
gut–brain axis

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1733 KiB

Open AccessArticle

TSPO PET Imaging as a Potent Non-Invasive Biomarker for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in a Patient-Derived Orthotopic Rat Model

by Céline Chevaleyre, Dimitri Kereselidze, Fabien Caillé, Nicolas Tournier, Nagore G. Olaciregui, Alexandra Winkeler, Xavier Declèves, Benoit Jego, Salvatore Cisternino, Sylvain Auvity and Charles Truillet

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(20), 12476; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232012476 - 18 Oct 2022

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Abstract

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), the first cause of cerebral pediatric cancer death, will greatly benefit from specific and non-invasive biomarkers for patient follow-up and monitoring of drug efficacy. Since biopsies are challenging for brain tumors, molecular imaging may be a technique of choice to target and follow tumor evolution. So far, MR remains the imaging technique of reference for DIPG, although it often fails to define the extent of tumors, an essential parameter for therapeutic efficacy assessment. Thanks to its high sensitivity, positron emission tomography (PET) offers a unique way to target specific biomarkers in vivo. We demonstrated in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model in the rat that the translocator protein of 18 kDa (TSPO) may be a promising biomarker for monitoring DIPG tumors. We studied the distribution of 18F-DPA-714, a TSPO radioligand, in rats inoculated with HSJD-DIPG-007 cells. The primary DIPG human cell line HSJD-DIPG-007 highly represents this pediatric tumor, displaying the most prevalent DIPG mutations, H3F3A (K27M) and ACVR1 (R206H). Kinetic modeling and parametric imaging using the brain 18F-DPA-714 PET data enabled specific delineation of the DIPG tumor area, which is crucial for radiotherapy dose management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Researches in Neuroinflammation and Brain Tumors)

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Review

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20 pages, 784 KiB

Open AccessReview

Neuroinflammation and Autophagy in Parkinson’s Disease—Novel Perspectives

by Danail Minchev, Maria Kazakova and Victoria Sarafian

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14997; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314997 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3349

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by the accumulation of α-Synuclein aggregates and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra in the midbrain. Although the exact mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in PD remain largely elusive, various pathogenic factors, such as α-Synuclein cytotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory factors, may significantly impair normal neuronal function and promote apoptosis. In this context, neuroinflammation and autophagy have emerged as crucial processes in PD that contribute to neuronal loss and disease development. They are regulated in a complex interconnected manner involving most of the known PD-associated genes. This review summarizes evidence of the implication of neuroinflammation and autophagy in PD and delineates the role of inflammatory factors and autophagy-related proteins in this complex condition. It also illustrates the particular significance of plasma and serum immune markers in PD and their potential to provide a personalized approach to diagnosis and treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Researches in Neuroinflammation and Brain Tumors)

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