2023
Chronic inflammation in Childhood - New Aspects of Mechanisms and Management
Guest Editors:
Prof. Dr. Tilmann Kallinich
Prof. Dr. Marcus Mall
Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine
Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany
Chronic inflammatory diseases in children and adolescents are associated with significant morbidity and often lead to lifelong sequelae. The recent emergence of high-resolution, high-throughput multi-omics technologies has provided unprecedented opportunities to unravel the underlying immunopathologies of chronic inflammatory diseases. This opens the possibility to better define and delineate patient groups, identify novel therapeutic targets and to develop targeted organ-specific, disease-specific and disease-overlapping therapeutic strategies.
The article collection "Chronic inflammation in Childhood" within Molecular and Cellular Pediatrics brings together articles from a wide range of pediatric subdisciplines. The reader is thus presented with the most diverse aspects of pathophysiology, the definition of endotypes and new therapeutic options. Since organ-specific differences but also commonalities in disease development are illustrated, this collection of articles will foster in-depth interdisciplinary collaboration.
Understanding COVID-19 in Pediatric Patients: Challenges and Insights
Guest Editor:
MUDr. Aleš Janda
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic cast a global spotlight on public health, prompting intense scrutiny of its impact across various demographics. Among the most vulnerable, yet often overlooked, are pediatric patients. This thematic series delves into the nuanced landscape of COVID-19 in children, exploring the unique challenges, clinical manifestations, and evolving insights that have emerged.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, this series brings together the latest research, clinical experience, and expert opinions to provide a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 in children and adolescents. As the medical community continues to learn from this unprecedented event, these articles offer valuable insights to inform current and future medical practices, policies, and interventions aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of our youngest population.
2021
Mechanism of kidney disease development and CKD associated morbidities
Guest Editor:
PD Dr. Max Christoph Liebau
Klinik u. Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
Uniklinik Köln, Germany
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a major and growing socioeconomic burden especially in western countries. Within pediatrics CKD is found both as an isolated clinical feature e.g. within the frame of congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract or as part of syndromic disorders. Over the past years there has been a tremendous development in our understanding of both genetic and non-genetic causes of CKD and progression factors. First targeted therapeutic options are emerging.
The thematic series on „Mechanisms of kidney disease development and CKD associated morbidities“ within Molecular and Cellular Pediatrics aims to give the reader first insights into some important and dynamic fields of research in pediatric nephrology covering a range from direct mechanisms of disease development to mechanisms and therapeutic aspects of CKD. We thank the internationally renowned authors from the field of pediatric nephrology contributing to this series.
Perinatal Origins of Chronic Lung Disease: Mechanisms – Prevention – Therapy
Guest Editor:
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Dr. M. A. Alejandre Alcázar
Klinik u. Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
Uniklinik Köln, Germany
Chronic lung diseases (CLD) are among the main causes of death in adults and children worldwide. The lack of preventive and curative strategies emphasizes the urgent need to identify new treatment approaches. Despite extensive studies over the last decades, the molecular mechanisms and the determinants of the susceptibility to CLD remain elusive. The incomplete development of the lungs at birth, in particular in preterm infants, renders the lung highly susceptible to injury, e.g. oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or malnutrition. Accumulating evidence indicates that adverse perinatal influences induce long-term changes in lung structure and function and increase the risk for CLD.
The series “Perinatal Origins of Chronic Lung Disease: Mechanisms – Prevention – Therapy” aims to present the perinatal period as a critical vulnerable window for CLD and to raise the awareness that this early period in life is also a window of preventive opportunity.
Pediatric Diagnostics: Novel Imaging and Biomarker Strategies
Guest Editor:
Dr. med. Ferdinand Knieling
Kinder- und Jugendklinik
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
The increasing discovery of the genetic causes and molecular understanding of disease has changed established treatment paradigms towards individualized treatment strategies. Although these classes of drugs can have a fundamental impact on disease progression, there is still a significant unmet need for knowledge on the optimal timing for treatment initiation or prediction of individual response to treatment. In the future, the use of novel biomarkers and imaging techniques to diagnose and monitor patients will facilitate our understanding of how to better care for children.