Role of Iron Dysregulation in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Their Complications

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1103

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Genomic Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
2. Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
Interests: role of iron dysregulation and mitochondrial metabolism in chronic inflammatory and degenerative human diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Iron is involved in numerous fundamental biological processes, as it readily switches between ferrous (2+) and ferric (3+) states in electron–transfer reactions. The hepcidin–ferroportin pathway also links cellular iron transport to the regulation of innate immunity and the inflammatory response. Tight compartmentalization and a steady but regulated supply of iron are needed to preserve mitochondrial function, limit oxidative stress, and maintain the health of vital organs. The 2012 characterization of ferroptosis—a regulated form of iron-dependent cell death driven by lipid peroxidation—led to an explosion of research focused on iron and ferroptosis in disease. Altered ferroptosis causes pathological cell loss, inflammation, and tissue fibrosis and is implicated in neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiovascular, renal, and lung diseases, as well as complications of HIV and COVID-19. In metabolically demanding tissues like the brain and heart, inflammation-mediated functional iron deficiency due to poor iron bioavailability (despite adequate or excess tissue iron) may promote organ remodeling and/or dysfunction. The understanding of organ-specific iron handling, iron–mitochondria interdependence, and the best approaches to studying these processes is rapidly evolving.

For this Special Issue, we are interested in original research articles and disease-focused reviews that highlight the role of altered iron homeostasis in chronic inflammatory human diseases and their complications. Contributions involving in vitro, animal, or human studies that use molecular, “-omics” or epidemiologic methods to study iron dysregulation in any of the pathophysiologic processes or diseases mentioned are of particular interest. Studies investigating regulation or novel markers of ferroptosis are also welcome.

Dr. Asha R. Kallianpur
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • iron
  • oxidative stress
  • ferroptosis
  • inflammation
  • chronic disease
  • metabolism
  • mitochondrial dysfunction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 5444 KiB  
Article
Neural Precursor Cell-Expressed Developmentally Downregulated Protein 4 (NEDD4)-Mediated Ubiquitination of Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4): A Key Pathway in High-Glucose-Induced Ferroptosis in Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cells
by Wenchao Xu, Peng Hu, Jiaxin Wang, Hongyang Jiang, Tao Wang, Jihong Liu and Hao Li
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121552 - 5 Dec 2024
Viewed by 488
Abstract
Pharmacological treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) has become increasingly challenging due to the limited efficacy of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i). As the global prevalence of DM continues, there is a critical need for novel therapeutic strategies to address DMED. In [...] Read more.
Pharmacological treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) has become increasingly challenging due to the limited efficacy of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i). As the global prevalence of DM continues, there is a critical need for novel therapeutic strategies to address DMED. In our previous studies, we found that Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a ferroptosis inhibitor, can ameliorate DMED in diabetic rats. However, the specific role of GPX4 in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) and its regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we established primary cultures of CCSMCs and systematically analyzed the role of GPX4 under high-glucose conditions. To further elucidate the upstream regulatory pathways of GPX4, we employed immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry (IP-MS) to identify potential interacting proteins. Additionally, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and cycloheximide (CHX) chase assays were conducted to explore the regulatory dynamics and post-translational stability of GPX4. Under high-glucose conditions, the expression of GPX4 in CCSMCs is significantly downregulated, leading to an increase in intracellular oxidative stress and heightened levels of ferroptosis, accompanied by dysfunction in smooth muscle cell relaxation. Furthermore, the CHX chase assay revealed that high glucose accelerates GPX4 protein degradation via the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Subsequent IP-MS identified NEDD4, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a potential interacting partner of GPX4. Further validation demonstrated that NEDD4 modulates the ubiquitination process of GPX4, thereby influencing its stability and expression. In conclusion, we identified NEDD4 as a key regulator of GPX4 stability through ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. These findings suggest potential therapeutic strategies targeting the NEDD4-GPX4 axis to alleviate DMED pathology. Full article
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