Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.1
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Antimicrobial Peptides, Cytokines, Chemokines and Danger Molecules in Immunity and...
ijms-logo
Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Antimicrobial Peptides, Cytokines, Chemokines and Danger Molecules in Immunity and Autoimmunity

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 4233

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Loredana Frasca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Italian National Institute of Health, ISS, National Center for Global Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Interests: autoimmunity; basic immunology; T-cell; B-cell and dendritic cell biology; transplantation; anti-infectious immune response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial chemokines can act both as protein mediators of specific immunological and non-immunological pathways or as chemo-attractants for immune cells. It is the case of cathelicidin LL37, which has chemo-extractant roles for immune cells and also acts as a “danger signal” and stimulator of the immune response, when bound to nucleic acids, with important effects in immunity and autoimmunity. A similar role is played by CXCL4, also called platelet factor 4 (PF4), which is a chemokine with pleiotropic effector functions but also a trigger of TLR-mediated inflammation in complexes with DNA/RNA. Both LL37 and CXCL4 play a role in immunity and autoimmunity. Other cationic molecules, either produced endogenously in humans or of microbial origin, can have TLR triggering capacity if bound to nucleic acids. Interestingly, these kinds of mediators can also be post-translationally modified during inflammation. In this Research Topic, we invite original articles and reviews illustrating current research and opinions about molecules that have pleiotropic effects on immunity and the effect of their post-translational modifications on health and disease. The topic involves but is not limited to, DNA/RNA binding proteins that exert pro-inflammatory role in immunity and autoimmunity and the effect of post-translational modification on their functions during normal immune responses and in immune-mediated diseases.

Dr. Loredana Frasca
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial peptides
  • antimicrobial chemokines
  • immune cells
  • immune responses
  • autoimmunity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 2796 KiB  
Article
Genital Dysbiosis and Different Systemic Immune Responses Based on the Trimester of Pregnancy in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
by Giuseppina Campisciano, Alice Sorz, Carolina Cason, Nunzia Zanotta, Fabrizia Gionechetti, Maria Piazza, Petra Carli, Francesca Maria Uliana, Lisa Ballaminut, Giuseppe Ricci, Francesco De Seta, Gianpaolo Maso and Manola Comar
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4298; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25084298 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Respiratory infections are common in pregnancy with conflicting evidence supporting their association with neonatal congenital anomalies, especially during the first trimester. We profiled cytokine and chemokine systemic responses in 242 pregnant women and their newborns after SARS-CoV-2 infection, acquired in different trimesters. Also, [...] Read more.
Respiratory infections are common in pregnancy with conflicting evidence supporting their association with neonatal congenital anomalies, especially during the first trimester. We profiled cytokine and chemokine systemic responses in 242 pregnant women and their newborns after SARS-CoV-2 infection, acquired in different trimesters. Also, we tested transplacental IgG passage and maternal vaginal–rectal microbiomes. IgG transplacental passage was evident, especially with infection acquired in the first trimester. G-CSF concentration—involved in immune cell recruitment—decreased in infected women compared to uninfected ones: a beneficial event for the reduction of inflammation but detrimental to ability to fight infections at birth. The later the infection was acquired, the higher the systemic concentration of IL-8, IP-10, and MCP-1, associated with COVID-19 disease severity. All infected women showed dysbiosis of vaginal and rectal microbiomes, compared to uninfected ones. Two newborns tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within the first 48 h of life. Notably, their mothers had acute infection at delivery. Although respiratory infections in pregnancy are reported to affect babies’ health, with SARS-CoV-2 acquired early during gestation this risk seems low because of the maternal immune response. The observed vaginal and rectal dysbiosis could be relevant for neonatal microbiome establishment, although in our series immediate neonatal outcomes were reassuring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Peptides, Cytokines, Chemokines and Danger Molecules in Immunity and Autoimmunity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 5112 KiB  
Article
ERK1/2-CEBPB Axis-Regulated hBD1 Enhances Anti-Tuberculosis Capacity in Alveolar Type II Epithelial Cells
by Yaoxin Chen, Zhenyu Han, Sian Zhang, Honglin Liu, Ke Wang, Jieyu Liu, Feichang Liu, Shiyun Yu, Na Sai, Haiyan Mai, Xinying Zhou, Chaoying Zhou, Qian Wen and Li Ma
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042408 - 18 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1569
Abstract
Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a global health crisis with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC-II) play a critical role in the pulmonary immune response against Mtb infection by secreting effector molecules such as antimicrobial peptides [...] Read more.
Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a global health crisis with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC-II) play a critical role in the pulmonary immune response against Mtb infection by secreting effector molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Here, human β-defensin 1 (hBD1), an important AMP produced by AEC-II, has been demonstrated to exert potent anti-tuberculosis activity. HBD1 overexpression effectively inhibited Mtb proliferation in AEC-II, while mice lacking hBD1 exhibited susceptibility to Mtb and increased lung tissue inflammation. Mechanistically, in A549 cells infected with Mtb, STAT1 negatively regulated hBD1 transcription, while CEBPB was the primary transcription factor upregulating hBD1 expression. Furthermore, we revealed that the ERK1/2 signaling pathway activated by Mtb infection led to CEBPB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, which subsequently promoted hBD1 expression. Our findings suggest that the ERK1/2-CEBPB-hBD1 regulatory axis can be a potential therapeutic target for anti-tuberculosis therapy aimed at enhancing the immune response of AEC-II cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Peptides, Cytokines, Chemokines and Danger Molecules in Immunity and Autoimmunity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

36 pages, 2344 KiB  
Review
Microbiota-Derived Extracellular Vesicle as Emerging Actors in Host Interactions
by Paola Margutti, Antonella D’Ambrosio and Silvia Zamboni
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 8722; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168722 - 9 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
The human microbiota is an intricate micro-ecosystem comprising a diverse range of dynamic microbial populations mainly consisting of bacteria, whose interactions with hosts strongly affect several physiological and pathological processes. The gut microbiota is being increasingly recognized as a critical player in maintaining [...] Read more.
The human microbiota is an intricate micro-ecosystem comprising a diverse range of dynamic microbial populations mainly consisting of bacteria, whose interactions with hosts strongly affect several physiological and pathological processes. The gut microbiota is being increasingly recognized as a critical player in maintaining homeostasis, contributing to the main functions of the intestine and distal organs such as the brain. However, gut dysbiosis, characterized by composition and function alterations of microbiota with intestinal barrier dysfunction has been linked to the development and progression of several pathologies, including intestinal inflammatory diseases, systemic autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatic arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, oral microbiota research has gained significant interest in recent years due to its potential impact on overall health. Emerging evidence on the role of microbiota–host interactions in health and disease has triggered a marked interest on the functional role of bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) as mediators of inter-kingdom communication. Accumulating evidence reveals that BEVs mediate host interactions by transporting and delivering into host cells effector molecules that modulate host signaling pathways and cell processes, influencing health and disease. This review discusses the critical role of BEVs from the gut, lung, skin and oral cavity in the epithelium, immune system, and CNS interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Peptides, Cytokines, Chemokines and Danger Molecules in Immunity and Autoimmunity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop