Signal Integration and Cross-Talk

One of the most important emerging fields in biomedical science is signal transduction, which represents the study of how cells detect and respond to stimuli. Failure of various cell types to properly detect and transduce signals often result in a variety of diseases and developmental defects. Multiple signals are often used to regulate and fine-tune the vital functions of multicellular organisms. Cross-talk between the different signal transduction pathways is fast becoming a rule rather than an exception. Researchers are just beginning to appreciate the complexity of how signals become integrated and processed within the cell. Disturbances within the complex networks of signalling molecules can lead to long term changes that underlie various diseases associated with the cardiovascular, immune, renal, gastrointestinal, and especially the central and peripheral nervous systems. This special issue of NeuroSignals reviews the pertinent aspects of signal integration and cross-talk that involve a variety of cell surface receptors and protein kinases. Researchers in the fields of neuroscience, cell biology, endocrinology, pharmacology and physiology will especially profit from this publication.