Sirtuins as Novel Biological Targets for Pharmacological Intervention in Physiology and Pathology

Dear Colleagues,

The sirtuin family of proteins is a class of enzymes highly conserved from yeast to humans with a high homology in sequences and in their cellular functions, underlying the fact that these proteins play important physiological roles. Seven mammalian sirtuins have been identified, which are characterized by different cellular functions, structures and localizations that can vary following different stimuli. Sirtuins were first characterized as histone deacetylases, but the presence of non-histone targets underline their involvement in many cellular processes such as the cell cycle, differentiation, senescence, stress response, inflammation, aging and metabolism. On the other hand, sirtuins are involved in several pathological conditions, such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolism-related disorders, carcinogenesis and tumor development, in which they can act as disease promoters or protective factors based on their targets and functions. Nuclear sirtuins, due to their epigenetic role, and mitochondrial sirtuins, due to their involvement in several metabolic processes such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, respiratory chain, fatty acid β-oxidation, ketogenesis, glutamine metabolism, etc., represent an important object of investigation since one of the hallmarks of carcinogenesis is represented by metabolic reprogramming and uncontrolled cell proliferation. In a broader analysis that also considers the influence of sirtuins in physiological and pathological conditions, this class of proteins represents a promising potential target of molecular and pharmacological strategies that could counteract the effects of several pathological conditions acting at various levels in molecular and cellular mechanisms. This Special Issue aims to collect and summarize the latest findings on the potential pharmacological intervention to modulate sirtuins' activity in counteracting damage and the onset of pathological states and favors the physiological homeostasis of tissues.

Dr. Michele Aventaggiato
Dr. Marco Tafani
Guest Editors

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• sirtuins
• metabolism
• cancer
• hypoxia
• damage recovery
• cell death