Recent Advances in Biomembrane Models for Studying Interactions with Bio-/Molecules

Dear Colleagues,

Biological membrane models such as liposomes, phospholipid bilayers, Langmuir monolayers, etc. are used to model and study the interactions of biological membranes with various biomolecules.

The interaction of bioactive compounds with biological membranes is a very important process. The pharmacological effects of medicines (especially when taken orally), as well as their distribution and metabolism are often dependent on their penetration through the biological membranes. Moreover, many enzymes, which may be membrane-bound proteins, are drug targets, therefore the pharmacological actions of different drugs may be a consequence of their direct interactions with proteins. Furthermore, there are also reports that some alternative mechanisms of action, such as the chemoprevention of bioactive compounds, e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or polyphenols, may also be related to their interactions with the biological membranes and specific membrane proteins. Changes induced in the lipid phase, such as an alteration of membrane curvature and phase behavior, may consequently also indirectly modify a conformation of membrane proteins. An interesting type of molecular interaction is also the interaction of surfactants with proteins, as well as with the membranes themselves; this is because some types of surfactants can also be used in the design of new types of drugs. For these reasons, the investigation of biomolecule–membrane interactions is essential for better understanding the molecular mechanisms of their action.

This Special Issue aims to investigate all types of bioactive compound–membrane interactions. We are pleased to invite you to submit your original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics relating to interactions of bioactive compounds:

• cellular membranes, and their influence on membrane structure, function, biomolecular organization and dynamics, fluidity, and composition,
• model membranes (eg. liposomes, phospholipid bilayers, Langmuir monolayers),
• membrane proteins (eg. COX, P-gp),
• membrane traffic, receptors, and channels.

Both molecular modeling and simulation as well as various biophysical (e.g., differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, patch clamp) and biological techniques can be used as research methods.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jadwiga Maniewska
Dr. Katarzyna Gębczak
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 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. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.

• drug–membrane interaction
• polyphenols–membrane interaction
• bioactive compounds
• model lipid membranes
• membrane proteins
• membrane phospholipid composition
• membrane channels
• surfactants
• new drug targets
• cancer multidrug resistance
• cancer chemoprevention
• anticancer compounds