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Pharmaceuticals
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Iron as Therapeutic Targets in Human Diseases 2020
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Iron as Therapeutic Targets in Human Diseases 2020

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2020) | Viewed by 10554

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Meera Nanjundan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
Interests: iron; ovarian cancer; endometriosis; kidney cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intracellular iron is an essential element required to homeostatically allow maintenance of appropriate organismal and cellular survival. Hence, iron levels need to be tightly regulated. It is well established that iron, in its redox active state, can mediate cellular damage via its participation in Fenton reactions. Thus, it is not surprising that under multiple disease conditions, iron levels and/or expression of iron regulatory mediators are dysrergulated. Therefore, efforts are underway to target the iron metabolic pathway to better control disease pathogenesis. This Special Issue focuses on iron therapy in inflammatory conditions, infectious diseases, cancer, and neurological diseases. The issue aims to provide an up-to-date review of the latest published findings in this research area as well as present limitations and future goals.

Dr. Meera Nanjundan
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. Pharmaceuticals 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 2900 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.

Keywords

  • Iron Therapy in Infectious Diseases
    • Iron chelation and viruses
    • Iron chelation and microbes
    • Iron chelation and fungus
  • Iron Therapy in Inflammation
    • Iron chelation and periodontal disease
    • Iron chelation and inflammatory bowel disease
  • Iron Therapy in Cancer
  • Iron Therapy in Neurological Diseases

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2991 KiB  
Article
Modulation of the Immune Response by Deferasirox in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients
by Hana Votavova, Zuzana Urbanova, David Kundrat, Michaela Dostalova Merkerova, Martin Vostry, Monika Hruba, Jaroslav Cermak and Monika Belickova
Pharmaceuticals 2021, 14(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14010041 - 07 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1859
Abstract
Deferasirox (DFX) is an oral iron chelator used to reduce iron overload (IO) caused by frequent blood cell transfusions in anemic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. To study the molecular mechanisms by which DFX improves outcome in MDS, we analyzed the global gene expression [...] Read more.
Deferasirox (DFX) is an oral iron chelator used to reduce iron overload (IO) caused by frequent blood cell transfusions in anemic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. To study the molecular mechanisms by which DFX improves outcome in MDS, we analyzed the global gene expression in untreated MDS patients and those who were given DFX treatment. The gene expression profiles of bone marrow CD34+ cells were assessed by whole-genome microarrays. Initially, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined between patients with normal ferritin levels and those with IO to address the effect of excessive iron on cellular pathways. These DEGs were annotated to Gene Ontology terms associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, adaptive immune response and protein folding and were enriched in cancer-related pathways. The deregulation of multiple cancer pathways in iron-overloaded patients suggests that IO is a cofactor favoring the progression of MDS. The DEGs between patients with IO and those treated with DFX were involved predominantly in biological processes related to the immune response and inflammation. These data indicate DFX modulates the immune response mainly via neutrophil-related genes. Suppression of negative regulators of blood cell differentiation essential for cell maturation and upregulation of heme metabolism observed in DFX-treated patients may contribute to the hematopoietic improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Iron as Therapeutic Targets in Human Diseases 2020)
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Review

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22 pages, 1194 KiB  
Review
Iron Therapeutics in Women’s Health: Past, Present, and Future
by Joel Mintz, Jackie Mirza, Eric Young and Kyle Bauckman
Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13(12), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph13120449 - 08 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4318
Abstract
Iron plays a unique physiological role in the maintenance of homeostasis and the pathological outcomes of the female reproductive tract. The dual nature of elemental iron has created an evolutionary need to tightly regulate its biological concentration. The female reproductive tract is particularly [...] Read more.
Iron plays a unique physiological role in the maintenance of homeostasis and the pathological outcomes of the female reproductive tract. The dual nature of elemental iron has created an evolutionary need to tightly regulate its biological concentration. The female reproductive tract is particularly unique due to the constant cycle of endometrial growth and shedding, in addition to the potential need for iron transfer to a developing fetus. Here, iron regulation is explored in a number of physiologic states including the endometrial lining and placenta. While iron dysregulation is a common characteristic in many women’s health pathologies there is currently a lack of targeted therapeutic options. Traditional iron therapies, including iron replacement and chelation, are common treatment options for gynecological diseases but pose long term negative health consequences; therefore, more targeted interventions directed towards iron regulation have been proposed. Recent findings show potential benefits in a therapeutic focus on ferritin-hepcidin regulation, modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and iron mediated cell death (ferroptosis). These novel therapeutics are the direct result of previous research in iron’s complex signaling pathway and show promise for improved therapy, diagnosis, and prognosis in women’s health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Iron as Therapeutic Targets in Human Diseases 2020)
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23 pages, 748 KiB  
Review
Iron Pathways and Iron Chelation Approaches in Viral, Microbial, and Fungal Infections
by Ravneet Chhabra, Aishwarya Saha, Ashkon Chamani, Nicole Schneider, Riya Shah and Meera Nanjundan
Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13(10), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph13100275 - 25 Sep 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3915
Abstract
Iron is an essential element required to support the health of organisms. This element is critical for regulating the activities of cellular enzymes including those involved in cellular metabolism and DNA replication. Mechanisms that underlie the tight control of iron levels are crucial [...] Read more.
Iron is an essential element required to support the health of organisms. This element is critical for regulating the activities of cellular enzymes including those involved in cellular metabolism and DNA replication. Mechanisms that underlie the tight control of iron levels are crucial in mediating the interaction between microorganisms and their host and hence, the spread of infection. Microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and fungi have differing iron acquisition/utilization mechanisms to support their ability to acquire/use iron (e.g., from free iron and heme). These pathways of iron uptake are associated with promoting their growth and virulence and consequently, their pathogenicity. Thus, controlling microorganismal survival by limiting iron availability may prove feasible through the use of agents targeting their iron uptake pathways and/or use of iron chelators as a means to hinder development of infections. This review will serve to assimilate findings regarding iron and the pathogenicity of specific microorganisms, and furthermore, find whether treating infections mediated by such organisms via iron chelation approaches may have potential clinical benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Iron as Therapeutic Targets in Human Diseases 2020)
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