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Topic Editors

Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, China
Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai, China
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Druggable Targets in Human Diseases and Therapeutic Target Identification for Bioactive Natural Products

Abstract submission deadline
closed (31 August 2026)
Manuscript submission deadline
31 October 2026
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2578

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of precision medicine, elucidation of drug targets has emerged as the principal drivers of innovative therapeutic development. Concurrently, natural products offer a rich repository of novel molecular entities for targeted therapies, leveraging their inherent chemical diversity and multi-target regulatory advantages. Nevertheless, efficient screening of bioactive constituents from complex natural products, coupled with accurate elucidation of their molecular targets and mechanisms, remains a formidable challenge.

This Topic “Druggable Targets in Human Diseases and Therapeutic Target Identification for Bioactive Natural Products,” seeks to assemble cutting-edge research spanning the isolation and structural elucidation of bioactive natural products, target profiling strategy, and comprehensive pharmacodynamic validation. Contributions unveiling novel small-molecule targets in diseases and include natural small molecule validation work are equally welcome.

We invite high-quality submissions that integrate innovative technologies with robust experimental validation to drive forward the next generation of natural product-based targeted therapeutics.

Dr. Jun Dang
Prof. Dr. Gang Li
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • active ingredients from natural products
  • isolation
  • characterization
  • chromatographic separation
  • target analysis
  • target validation
  • natural compounds
  • pharmacological evaluation
  • molecular mechanisms of anti-disease compounds
  • omics
  • bioinformatics
  • diseases
  • drug targets
  • biomarkers

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Analytica
analytica 		7.4 7.2 2020 19.4 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Antioxidants
antioxidants 		8.2 14.7 2012 18.7 Days CHF 2900 Submit
Biomedicines
biomedicines 		4.5 7.8 2013 18.2 Days CHF 2600 Submit
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
ijms 		5.6 10.0 2000 17.5 Days CHF 2900 Submit
Nutrients
nutrients 		5.8 10.2 2009 15.8 Days CHF 2900 Submit
Separations
separations 		3.5 6.4 2014 15.1 Days CHF 2600 Submit

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Article
Coordinated Two-Node Blockade of NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad Signaling Attenuates the Foreign Body Response to Prevent Capsular Contracture
by Xiaofei Tong, Meina Sun, Xin Gan, Xin Chen, Shiyang Liu, Ieong Sun, Lin Zhang and Weihong Zheng
Biomedicines 2026, 14(7), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14071586 - 15 Jul 2026
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Abstract
Background: Capsular contracture is driven by self-amplifying foreign body response (FBR) where inflammatory and fibrotic signals from fibroblasts and macrophages reinforce each other. We hypothesized that cogradient simultaneous blockade of NF-κB as an inflammatory node and TGF-β/Smad as fibrotic node could attenuate [...] Read more.
Background: Capsular contracture is driven by self-amplifying foreign body response (FBR) where inflammatory and fibrotic signals from fibroblasts and macrophages reinforce each other. We hypothesized that cogradient simultaneous blockade of NF-κB as an inflammatory node and TGF-β/Smad as fibrotic node could attenuate the FBR. Emodin has dual inhibitory activity but suffers from poor delivery. Methods: Emodin liposomes (Emo-Lip) were characterized and tested on TGF-β1-stimulated NIH/3T3 fibroblasts and LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. In a rat silicone implant model, periprosthetic injections were given for four weeks. Fibrous capsule formation was evaluated by histology, immunofluorescence, and FAPI-PET/CT. Transcriptomic analyses were performed to verify and predict relevant pathways. Results: Emo-Lip had uniform size and high encapsulation efficiency. In vitro, Emo-Lip inhibited fibroblast migration, ROS production, myofibroblast differentiation (α-SMA+) as well as Ctgf expression, while suppressing M1 polarization and reduced IL-12/IL-6 secretion in macrophages. In vivo, Emo-Lip reduced capsule thickness, collagen area, and α-SMA/Col I expression, comparable to dexamethasone. Transcriptomics showed coordinated downregulation of inflammatory/fibrotic genes, and Western blot confirmed suppressed phosphorylation of Smad3. Conclusions: Coordinated two-node blockade of NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad by liposomal emodin reprograms the FBR and effectively prevents capsular contracture in rats, offering a translational strategy for implant-associated fibrosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Druggable Targets in Human Diseases and Therapeutic Target Identification for Bioactive Natural Products)
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