Advances in Toxicological Research on Chemical Entities: Mechanistic Insights and Safety Profiles

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce this Special Issue dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the toxicological profiles and safety assessment of chemical entities, with a particular emphasis on their potential adverse effects, the mechanisms of toxicity, and risk evaluation. While these agents’ pharmacological properties remain relevant, this Special Issue’s core focus is on advancing our understanding of how they interact with biological systems in potentially harmful ways, ranging from molecular disruption to systemic toxicities.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate and advance the current knowledge in the field of toxicological research by focusing on chemical substances’ biological impacts, assessed through in vitro and in vivo studies. Contributions are encouraged across these domains, especially those elucidating the mechanisms of toxicity, identifying biomarkers of exposure or harm, and generating evidence to support safer therapeutic development and informed regulatory decision-making. Furthermore, this Special Issue aims to address critical research gaps by improving these agents’ safety profiles across various fields; therefore, pharmacovigilance studies are also welcome.

In addition, contributors are encouraged to consider cytotoxicity and toxicants’ effects on cell signaling mechanisms, as well as to integrate metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics data to provide a more comprehensive view of toxicological responses.

Taking all of this into account, the research approaches we are interested in include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. In vitro assays: Cell viability and cytotoxicity tests, receptor binding studies, gene and protein expression analyses, enzyme activity assays, and mechanistic biochemical investigations;
2. In vivo evaluations: Dose–response assessments, organ-specific toxicity studies, behavioral pharmacology, pharmacokinetic profiling, and efficacy and safety testing in animal models;
3. Clinical applications: Translational research, clinical pharmacology studies, pharmacovigilance, safety monitoring, and efficacy assessments in human populations;
4. Pharmacovigilance studies: The systematic monitoring and assessment of adverse drug reactions and establishment of a causal relationship between the administration of a drug and an adverse reaction.

The following types of contributions are encouraged:

• Original research articles presenting novel experimental or clinical findings related to toxicological mechanisms, safety assessment, biomarker identification, or the adverse effects of chemical entities investigated using in vitro, in vivo, or pharmacovigilance approaches, and studies integrating metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics data to investigate cell signaling alterations;
• Review articles: Narrative or systematic reviews or meta-analyses offering a comprehensive overview of the current challenges, emerging trends, or methodological advances in toxicology, safety evaluation, and risk assessment;
• Pharmacovigilance and regulatory reports: Studies focused on real-world safety data, adverse drug reaction monitoring, and the establishment of causal relationships between exposure and toxic outcomes;
• Case studies and reports: Detailed accounts of clinically or experimentally observed toxic effects, highlighting mechanistic insights or regulatory implications.

Dr. Andrei-Flavius Radu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• cellular and molecular mechanisms
• toxicological profiling
• chemical entities
• drug safety
• in vitro and in vivo studies
• risk assessments
• human exposome
• pharmacovigilance studies
• omics technologies