The purinergic signaling is a ubiquitously expressed system comprising various ecto-, soluble and intracellular localized enzymes, nucleoside transporters, G-protein coupled and ligand-gated cation channel receptors. Along with stimuli-mediated release, cells are able to maintain basal adenine and guanine-based purines at certain characteristic steady-state levels, thereby contributing to the constitutive activation of purinergic signaling.
Over the last decade, a great effort has been made in order to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying both short- and long-term effects of the purinergic signaling in pathophysiological conditions (i.e. cell proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and death). A growing number of pre-clinical studies has laid the basis of a therapeutic use of purine-related compounds (receptor agonist or antagonist, purinergic enzymes and their inhibitors) in numerous diseases, including cancer, metabolic and CNS disorders.
This Research Topic is aimed at collecting contributions and points of view from experts in the field of purinergic signaling in the form of Original Research, Opinions, Mini Reviews, Brief Research Report articles or Perspectives. It could represent a virtual round-table within the Scientific Community to share the more recent findings and innovative ideas concerning the use of purines as new pharmacological tools in cell dysfunctions.
The profile of this initiative, conceived by the team of Topic Editors, has been immediately encompassed by the Italian Chapter of Purine Club whose members, starting from collecting opinions derived from their research experience, will promote a debate on controversial aspects and future perspectives of clinical applications in this field of research.
It will help to favour the increasing and fruitful collaborations/partnerships between research groups, as witnessed by a great number of co-authorships in prestigious journals.
This Research Topic focuses on studies that investigate and discuss:
1) the emerging role of purines in health and disease;
2) the innovative techniques able to measure purine-converting enzyme activities and expression in the extracellular milieu and cellular compartments;
3) the overall clinical significance of novel purine-related therapeutic targets.
The ultimate scope of this Research Topic is opening a constructive debate that would help the discovery of novel pharmacological targets and potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, paving the way for personalized medicine.
We welcome manuscripts critically arguing the state-of-the-art of purines as emerging therapeutic tools and answering the question “to what extent research might unveil new functions of these compounds in the complex network of cell signaling pathways under physiological or pathological conditions.
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements.
The purinergic signaling is a ubiquitously expressed system comprising various ecto-, soluble and intracellular localized enzymes, nucleoside transporters, G-protein coupled and ligand-gated cation channel receptors. Along with stimuli-mediated release, cells are able to maintain basal adenine and guanine-based purines at certain characteristic steady-state levels, thereby contributing to the constitutive activation of purinergic signaling.
Over the last decade, a great effort has been made in order to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying both short- and long-term effects of the purinergic signaling in pathophysiological conditions (i.e. cell proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and death). A growing number of pre-clinical studies has laid the basis of a therapeutic use of purine-related compounds (receptor agonist or antagonist, purinergic enzymes and their inhibitors) in numerous diseases, including cancer, metabolic and CNS disorders.
This Research Topic is aimed at collecting contributions and points of view from experts in the field of purinergic signaling in the form of Original Research, Opinions, Mini Reviews, Brief Research Report articles or Perspectives. It could represent a virtual round-table within the Scientific Community to share the more recent findings and innovative ideas concerning the use of purines as new pharmacological tools in cell dysfunctions.
The profile of this initiative, conceived by the team of Topic Editors, has been immediately encompassed by the Italian Chapter of Purine Club whose members, starting from collecting opinions derived from their research experience, will promote a debate on controversial aspects and future perspectives of clinical applications in this field of research.
It will help to favour the increasing and fruitful collaborations/partnerships between research groups, as witnessed by a great number of co-authorships in prestigious journals.
This Research Topic focuses on studies that investigate and discuss:
1) the emerging role of purines in health and disease;
2) the innovative techniques able to measure purine-converting enzyme activities and expression in the extracellular milieu and cellular compartments;
3) the overall clinical significance of novel purine-related therapeutic targets.
The ultimate scope of this Research Topic is opening a constructive debate that would help the discovery of novel pharmacological targets and potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, paving the way for personalized medicine.
We welcome manuscripts critically arguing the state-of-the-art of purines as emerging therapeutic tools and answering the question “to what extent research might unveil new functions of these compounds in the complex network of cell signaling pathways under physiological or pathological conditions.
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements.
