Neuropilins and VEGFR-Interacting Proteins in Health and Disease
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 2778
Special Issue Editors
Interests: metabolism and energy homeostasis; nutrition; cardiovascular endocrinology; cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis; exercise and health; COVID‑19 and SARS‑CoV‑2 host cell entry mediators; epidemiology of non-communicable diseases and public health; obesity and obesity-related complications; type 2 diabetes; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; endocrinology; endocrine disrupting chemicals; polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); mental health-stress and the HPA axis
2. Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (WISDEM), University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK
Interests: women's health; endocrinology; gynaecological cancers; PCOS; metabolism; nutrition; diabetes; endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs); links between obesity and cancer
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Interests: detection and characterisation of circulating tumour cells; use of liquid biopsies as cancer biomarkers of diagnostic and prognostic value; ovarian cancer; women's health; gynaecological cancers; role of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in pregnancy; 3D cultures/organ-on-a-chip
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Unit of Endocrinology, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Laiko Hospital, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: women's health; cardiovascular endocrinology; atherosclerosis; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; endocrinology of adrenals; oestrogen receptor signalling; glucocorticoid receptor signalling; clock system in benign diseases and malignancies; ICI (immune checkpoint inhibitor)-related endocrinopathies; neuroendocrine tumours; vitamin D; calcium and phosphate metabolic disorders; gynaecological cancers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neuropilins (NRPs), namely neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and neuropilin-2 (NRP2), constitute a small family of transmembrane receptors with short cytoplasmic tails which lack a cytosolic protein kinase domain, and so act primarily as co-receptors for various ligands, such as VEGF, class III/IV semaphorins and transforming growth factor-beta. Overall, NRPs paly a key role in mediating the signaling of various receptor tyrosine kinases, integrins, and other molecules involved in the regulation of angiogenic processes in health and disease, as well as in axonal guidance, tumor progression, immune functions and viral entry. Indeed, co-receptors and other VEGFR-interacting proteins (e.g. NRPs, proteoglycans, integrins and protein tyrosine phosphatases) contribute to the tight regulation of VEGFR signalling and are implicated in the pathophysiology of cancer (e.g. interactions in the tumor microenvironment between cancer cells, endothelial cells, immune cells, cancer stem cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts). Accordingly, targeting the VEGF/NRP signaling axis has theurapeutic potential, since targeting NRP1 or NRP2 may inhibit tumor initiation and decrease chemotherapy resistance. Recent evidence further indicates a broader role of NRPs in the regulation of the immune system, with NRP1 being expressed in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, activated T cells and T regulatory cells, whilst high levels of NRP2 are also found on immune cells mediating various immune functions (e.g. migration, antigen presentation and phagocytosis). Of note, NRP1, which exhibits high expression in the respiratory and olfactory epithelium, appears to be implicated in COVID‑19 by enhancing the entry of SARS‑CoV‑2 into host cell. Emerging data also suggest a role for NRP2 in cardiovascular disease. As such, it is evident that NRPs and VEGFR-interacting proteins are involved in the regulation of multiple physiological functions with subsequent implications for various diseases, ranging from cancer to viral infections.
Thereby, we invite colleagues to contribute to the present Special Issue with research or review papers focused on neuropilins and VEGFR-interacting proteins, exploring how the related molecular and cellular pathways are implicated in physiologic functions (e.g. in immunity) and various diseases (e.g. cancer, COVID-19 etc.) and whether these are potential targets for the treatment of such related diseases.
Dr. Ioannis Kyrou
Prof. Dr. Harpal S. Randeva
Dr. Emmanouil Karteris
Prof. Dr. Eva Kassi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- neuropilins
- vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs)
- vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs)
- VEGFR-interacting proteins
- proteoglycans
- integrins
- protein tyrosine phosphatases
- immune system
- cancer
- cardiovascular disease
- cardio-metabolic disease
- COVID-19
- SARS‑CoV‑2 host cell entry mediators
