Mastocytosis, MCAS, and Related Disorders: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 769

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
Interests: systemic mastocytosis; acute myeloid leukemia; fungal infections in hematological patients; rare hematological diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Various combinations of local and systemic mast cell (MC) activation, leading to different degrees of tissue-specific consequences, are responsible for the pleomorphic clinical symptoms of mast cells disorders that may virtually involve all organ systems. Recurrent, severe clinical manifestations of MC activation are referred to as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS); although clinical symptoms are largely overlapping among different MC disorders, the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms may be extremely diverse. Anaphylaxis is the most recognizable manifestation of MCAS, but they cannot be considered fully overlapping as for defined diagnostic criteria. Primary MCAS refers to the clonal infiltration of different tissues (mainly the skin, bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract, and bones) from the MCs that may harbor cKIT mutations, and is consistent with a diagnosis of mastocytosis. Secondary MCAS refers to MC activation elicited by known triggers through both IgE- and non IgE-mediated mechanisms. Idiopathic MCAS refers to recurrent MC activation with unknown predisposing factors. Hereditary alpha tryptasemia is a genetic condition characterized by extra copies of the TPSAB1 gene, encoding for alpha-tryptase, that is predisposing to anaphylaxis and MCAS and frequently linked to mastocytosis.

The therapeutic approaches of MC disorders are completely different, based on the driving pathogenetic mechanisms. Anti-mediator drugs are used to control the clinical manifestations of anaphylaxis and both secondary and idiopathic MCAS, together with avoiding exposition to known triggers. On the other hand, mastocytosis may require targeted therapies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and potentially allogeneic transplant in cases of rare aggressive disease.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews about mastocytosis, MCAS, and related disorders are welcome.

Dr. Marianna Criscuolo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • mast cell
  • alpha tryptasemia
  • hymenoptera venom
  • mastocytosis
  • anti-mediator therapy
  • tyrosine kinase inhibitors
  • allogeneic transplant

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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16 pages, 846 KiB  
Review
Beyond the “Master” Role in Allergy: Insights into Intestinal Mast Cell Plasticity and Gastrointestinal Diseases
by Rosa Molfetta, Alessia Carnevale, Caterina Marangio, Erisa Putro and Rossella Paolini
Biomedicines 2025, 13(2), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020320 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 411
Abstract
Mast cells (MCs) are essential components of the immune system that enter the circulation as immature bone marrow progenitors and differentiate in peripheral organs under the influence of microenvironment factors. As tissue-resident secretory immune cells, MCs rapidly detect the presence of bacteria and [...] Read more.
Mast cells (MCs) are essential components of the immune system that enter the circulation as immature bone marrow progenitors and differentiate in peripheral organs under the influence of microenvironment factors. As tissue-resident secretory immune cells, MCs rapidly detect the presence of bacteria and parasites because they harbor many surface receptors, which enable their activation via a multitude of stimuli. MC activation has been traditionally linked to IgE-mediated allergic reactions, but MCs play a pivotal role in different physiological and pathological processes. In gut, MCs are essential for the maintenance of gastrointestinal (GI) barrier function, and their interactions with neurons, immune cells, and epithelial cells have been related to various GI disorders. This review recapitulates intestinal MC roles in diseases with a main focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Emerging therapies targeting MCs and their mediators in clinical practices will also be discussed. Full article
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