World Academy of Sciences Journal Special Issues
COVID-19 and autoimmunity
Lead Editor:
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Professor Dimitrios P. Bogdanos
Division of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly
Greece
COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is associated with a plethora of immune-mediated and autoimmune phenomena. A great percentage of infected patients develop autoantibodies, even in the case of non severe disease, raising the issue as to whether those autoantibodies are the forerunners of early autoimmune diseases. Also, COVID-19 patients develop de-novo organ and non-organ immune-mediated manifestations, some of which are evolving into full blown autoimmune diseases, which require immunomodulatory treatments. This issue will tackle this topic and will discuss pathogenic and pathophysiological mechanisms which link the virus with autoimmune manifestations which will assist efforts of experimental and translational research to understand the origin of the documented link.
This issue is now closed for submissions.
Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals in Health and Disease: Preclinical and Human Studies
Lead Editor:
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Dr Marcello Iriti
Milan State University
Italy
In recent decades, the role of phytotherapeutics in the prevention and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases has been increasingly investigated and documented by a plethora of in vitro and in vivo studies. Herbal medicinal products are rich in bioactive phytochemicals such as polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols, glucosinolates and organosulfur compounds responsible for their efficacy as antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulating, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antiaging, cardioprotective and neuroprotective agents. However, although epidemiological observational studies have also focused on the association between regular plant food consumption and lower risk of chronic degenerative diseases, the preclinical evidence should be further substantiated by human intervention studies, in particular by randomized controlled trials at the top of the evidence-based pyramid. Furthermore, the oral bioavailability of phytochemicals, their pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and safety (toxicity) should be much more investigated together with pharmacodynamics and mechanism of action. In this very wide context, we invite investigators to submit both original research and review articles that explore all these aspects.
This issue is now closed for submissions.
