Pathophysiology of Fatty Acid Metabolism

Dear Colleagues,

Fatty acids (FAs) are essential to human health, acting as energy sources, signalling molecules, and regulators of gene expression. Although humans cannot produce them, they can metabolize the essential fatty acid precursors like linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid (LA and ALA, respectively) into their long-chain derivatives through the actions of the elongase and desaturase enzymes. These long-chain FAs significantly influence inflammatory responses, brain function, and overall metabolic health.

Metabolic flexibility—the body's ability to shift between using glucose and fatty acids for energy—is essential for overall well-being. Disruptions in fatty acid metabolism, such as insulin resistance, are linked to metabolic syndrome and contribute to conditions like chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Fatty acid imbalances also promote low-grade inflammation, which plays a key role in the development of these chronic conditions.

Ongoing investigations are focused on the health impacts of saturated and trans fats, alongside the protective roles of omega-3 FAs, particularly EPA and DHA, in reducing the risk and progression of CVDs, including atherosclerosis-related conditions through improvements in endothelial function. Their vasculo-protective effects include reduced blood pressure, decreased formation of atherosclerotic lesions, enhanced anti-inflammatory properties, improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation, and increased antioxidant capacity.

This Special Issue will highlight new insights into fatty acid metabolism, emphasizing its critical role in CVD, CKD, and other metabolic disorders. We invite original research and reviews that explore how FAs influence human health and contribute to disease prevention by targeting molecular mechanisms, enzymes, and signalling pathways.

Dr. Nikolina Kolobarić
Prof. Dr. Ines Drenjančević
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. Biomedicines 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 2600 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.

• fatty acids
• signalling molecules
• gene expression
• metabolic disorders