Beyond Lipid Rafts and Caveolae: Caveolins in Disease

Dear Colleagues,

The caveolin molecule is simply amazing. Understanding how the caveolin family works in the human body is not simple. The caveolin-mediated caveolae, cellular organelles of the cell, regulate the physiology of the human body by communicating with one another, while dysfunctional caveolae lead to pathogenesis. Since the four of us started studying caveolae when we worked at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Michael P. Lisanti’s laboratory, we have mapped out the caveolin-scaffolding domain (CSD) within the caveolin family molecules and defined the CSD-interacting motifs within multiple lines of receptors involved in signal transduction. We have also established models for studying caveolae (i.e., lipid rafts) genesis. Functionally, we found that the CSD acts as a negative regulator of signal transduction, which inspired the development of therapeutics for diseases. In the past decade or so, we have witnessed the discovery of new regulating networks of caveolae-mediated communication and the dysfunction of caveolae related to pathogenies and cancer. As co-editors of this Special Issue, we invite current researchers in the field to discuss the role of these regulating networks in physiology, how they become impaired in pathology, and how they can be normalized by the development of new therapeutics in disorders. We strive to edit this Special Issue to serve as a unique platform for communicating commentary, original articles, review articles, case studies, letters to editors, rapid communications, and methodology reviews.

Potential Topics (not limited to):

• central nervous system caveolae;
• central nervous system caveolin-regulated tumors;
• autoimmune and caveolae;
• cardiovascular caveolae and atherosclerosis;
• lung diseases and caveolae;
• caveolin-evolved breast cancer;
• caveolin-evolved prostate cancer;
• Alzheimer’s disease and caveolins;
• obesity and diabetes;
• caveolin-mediated co-evolution of tumor with its microenvironment.

Dr. Shengwen Calvin Li
Dr. Massimo Sargiacomo
Prof. Jacques Couet
Prof. Eric Kübler
Guest Editors

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