Galectins are a family of soluble beta-galactoside-binding proteins with diverse glycan-dependent and glycan-independent functions outside and inside the cell. There are sixteen recognized mammalian galectin genes, and their expression profiles are very different between cell types, tissues, and species. This Special Issue covers recent progress in the field of the cell biology of galectins, relevant concepts of galectin regulatory mechanisms, and biomedical aspects of these unique multifunctional proteins.

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This book collects 17 original research papers and 9 reviews that are part of the Special Issue “Cellular Oxidative Stress”, published in the journal Antioxidants. Oxidative stress on a cellular level affects the function of tissues and organs and may eventually lead to disease. Therefore, a precise understanding of how oxidative stress develops and can be counteracted is of utmost importance. The scope of the book is to emphasize the latest findings on the cellular targets of oxidative stress and the potential beneficial effect of antioxidants on human health.

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Cholera remains a global threat in the 21st century, chiefly due to the continued lack of adequate resource provision and the political will to ensure a safe potable water supply and sanitary waste disposal for a burgeoning global population. The current Special Issue on cholera provides an overview of the available control measures from the perspectives of bioecology, immunology and vaccinology and treatment. These modalities have the potential to reduce cholera case fatality rates to less than 1% if properly implemented. In this Special Issue on cholera, the current state of the art in science-based control measures is reported on by several of the world’s leaders in research on the control of cholera and allied acute watery diarrheal diseases. Dr. Rita Colwell, Dr. Anwar Huq and colleagues at the University of Maryland and the University of Florida will review the latest information on environmental factors related to the prediction and prevention of cholera. Dr. Jacqueline Dean and Dr. John Clemens contribute an overview of recent insights into the performance of licensed and recommended cholera vaccines. Dr. Jan Holmgren will present an update on cholera immunity and the next generation of cholera vaccines. Dr. David Nalin will discuss cholera treatment options and optimums for the 21st century, and Dr. Richard A. Cash will focus on bringing diarrhea treatment, control, and prevention to the community.

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Gut health and specifically the gut microbiome-host interaction is currently a major research topic across the life sciences. In the case of animal sciences research into animal production and health, the gut has been a continuous area of interest. Production parameters such as growth and feed efficiency are entirely dependent on optimum gut health. In addition, the gut is a major immune organ and one of the first lines of defense in animal disease. Recent changes in animal production management and feed regulations, both regulatory and consumer driven, have placed added emphasis on finding ways to optimize gut health in novel and effective ways. In this volume we bring together original research and review articles covering three major categories of gut health and animal production: the gut microbiome, mucosal immunology, and feed-based interventions. Included within these categories is a broad range of scientific expertise and experimental approaches that span food animal production. Our goal in bringing together the articles on this research topic is to survey the current knowledge on gut health in animal production. The following 15 articles include knowledge and perspectives from researchers from multiple countries and research perspectives, all with the central goal of improving animal health and production.

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80% of the bodies’ immune cells are harbored within the intestine. They are only separated from 1014 microorganisms by a single layer of intestinal epithelial cells and a secreted superficial mucus layer. Therefore, the intestinal epithelial surface represents a main frontier in host defense. Providing an intact mucosal barrier is vital for the host to limit bacterial entry and spread to the circulation. This specialized localization requires dynamic responses of intestinal epithelial cells to both pathogen- and immune-derived signals. Moreover, emergency barriers are needed in the setting of epithelial damage, which allow provisional microbial control and a timely restitution of mucosal integrity. Epithelial cells constantly interact with subjacent immune cells and fibroblasts, actively directing the immune response and also shaping the luminal microbiota. Epithelial dysfunction has been appreciated in recent years as a driving element in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Additionally, primary immune deficiencies may manifest in the form of chronic intestinal inflammation mimicking features of IBD. Recent advances in the techniques of epithelial cell culture and the discovery of new immune cell types and cellular properties have tremendously advanced the understanding in this interesting field of research. In this research topic, we want to focus on the complex interaction of intestinal epithelial cells, luminal flora and adjacent immune cells and invite manuscripts which highlight the dynamic responses of both epithelium and immune cells under steady-state or inflammatory conditions, and envision how this may be translated to the benefit of patient-care.

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Iron is an essential element for almost all organisms, a cofactor playing a crucial role in a number of vital functions, including oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and respiration. However, its ability to exchange electrons renders excess iron potentially toxic, since it is capable of catalyzing the formation of highly poisonous free radicals. As a consequence, iron homeostasis is tightly controlled by sophisticated mechanisms that have been partially elucidated. Because of its biological importance, numerous disorders have been recently linked to the deregulation of iron homeostasis, which include not only the typical disorders of iron overload and deficiency but also cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. This leads iron metabolism to become an interesting therapeutic target for novel pharmacological treatments against these diseases. Several therapies are currently under development for hematological disorders, while other are being considered for different pathologies. The therapeutic targeting under study includes the hepcidin/ferroportin axis for the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis, complex cytosolic machineries for the regulation of the intracellular iron status and its association with oxidative damage, and reagents exploiting proteins of iron metabolism such as ferritin and transferrin receptor. A promising potential target is a recently described form of programmed cell death named ferroptosis, in which the role of iron is essential but not completely clarified. This Special Issue has the aim to summarize the state-of-the-art, and the latest findings published in the iron field, as well as to elucidate future directions.

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Iron is an essential element for almost all organisms, a cofactor playing a crucial role in a number of vital functions, including oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and respiration. However, its ability to exchange electrons renders excess iron potentially toxic, since it is capable of catalyzing the formation of highly poisonous free radicals. As a consequence, iron homeostasis is tightly controlled by sophisticated mechanisms that have been partially elucidated. Because of its biological importance, numerous disorders have been recently linked to the deregulation of iron homeostasis, which include not only the typical disorders of iron overload and deficiency but also cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. This leads iron metabolism to become an interesting therapeutic target for novel pharmacological treatments against these diseases. Several therapies are currently under development for hematological disorders, while other are being considered for different pathologies. The therapeutic targeting under study includes the hepcidin/ferroportin axis for the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis, complex cytosolic machineries for the regulation of the intracellular iron status and its association with oxidative damage, and reagents exploiting proteins of iron metabolism such as ferritin and transferrin receptor. A promising potential target is a recently described form of programmed cell death named ferroptosis, in which the role of iron is essential but not completely clarified. This Special Issue has the aim to summarize the state-of-the-art, and the latest findings published in the iron field, as well as to elucidate future directions.

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Aquaculture is an important economic activity for food production all around the world that has experienced an exponential growth during the last few decades. However, several weaknesses and bottlenecks still need to be addressed in order to improve the aquaculture productive system. The recent fast development of the omics technologies has provided scientists with meaningful tools to elucidate the molecular basis of their research interests. This reprint compiles different works about the use of transcriptomics and genomics technologies in different aspects of the aquaculture research, such as immunity, stress response, development, sexual dimorphism, among others, in a variety of fish and shellfish, and even in turtles. Different transcriptome (mRNAs and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)), genome (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)), and metatranscriptome analyses were conducted to unravel those different aspects of interest.

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