Inflammation—the Surprising Bridge between Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

The inflammatory response is part of our biology and is the physiological mechanism of defense against viral, bacterial, fungal and parasite aggression. However, under the pressure of a wide spectrum of stressors, this mechanism turns against us.

Low-grade inflammation is a chronic imbalanced response that perpetuates metabolic disruption and tissue destruction. It contributes to the impairment of lung function, mainly by affecting the peripheral airways and parenchyma. It characterizes adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance in obesity and diabetes. Together with the accelerated foam cell formation it triggers, it paves the pathway for atherosclerosis, and further, for ischemic heart disease and peripheral artery disease. It induces the accelerated deterioration of the bioprosthetic valves. It is responsible for structural and functional changes in the gastrointestinal tract and liver, leading to inflammatory bowel disease and fatty liver disease. It is a major contributor to joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. It favors the initiation, growth, progression and metastasis of cancer.

In this context, we consider of great interest the precise characterization of the molecular pathways that lead to the clinically manifest disease. The identification of organ-specific biomarkers of low-grade inflammation would allow for the early identification of imbalance and therapeutic intervention before the onset of irreversible damage. The monitoring of treatment response would be greatly improved by the existence of biomarkers that would signal early the recurrence of the imbalance.

We must come to the aid of clinicians from different specialties who strive to treat specific organ damage and identify the stages of the pathogenic cascade amenable to therapeutic intervention, as well as making efforts to implement the found solutions in practice. Targeting the earliest possible stages in the pathogenic cascade is a priority.

We invite you contribute to this Special Issue and share your experience in this field. Both original studies and reviews are welcome for submission. Only together will we be able to provide robust guidelines for a targeted approach to the pathogenic links of inflammation and stop the destructive spiral of organ damage.

Dr. Manuela Ciocoiu
Dr. Minerva Codruta Badescu
Dr. Iris Bararu-Bojan
Guest Editors

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• low-grade inflammation
• lung inflammation
• atherosclerosis
• ischemic heart disease
• peripheral artery disease
• inflammatory bowel disease
• fatty liver disease
• inflammatory rheumatic diseases
• cancer