Soluble receptors play unique roles in modulating hormone and cytokine activity, critical to endocrine health. These receptors represent the extracellular regions of membrane-bound receptors but circulate freely in plasma, enabling them to bind directly to hormones and cytokines in the bloodstream. Generated through proteolytic cleavage or alternative splicing, soluble receptors differ from their membrane-bound counterparts, as they can either sequester ligands, preventing interactions with target tissues, or act as carriers, potentially extending ligand stability and half-life in circulation. However, the full dynamics of these interactions in plasma, whether they primarily inhibit or prolong hormone action, are still not fully understood.

In endocrinology, soluble receptors for key hormones like leptin and insulin contribute to metabolic regulation, though much remains to be learned about their physiological and pathological roles. Similarly, soluble cytokine receptors, notably for TGF-β, IL-6, and TNF, show promise in conditions where metabolism and inflammation intersect, such as diabetes and insulin resistance. For instance, the TNF soluble receptors (sTNFRs) have been used to block inflammatory pathways in rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting therapeutic applications in other inflammatory and metabolic disorders.

Some soluble receptors are also emerging as biomarkers for diagnostics and disease monitoring, allowing early detection and improved management of endocrine-related diseases. By exploring their roles in metabolic and inflammatory pathways, researchers are uncovering ways in which soluble receptors could transform diagnostics and treatments within endocrinology.

This Research Topic seeks to advance our understanding of soluble receptors in endocrine-related diseases, emphasizing their roles in hormone interactions, ligand stability, and disease-modifying processes. We invite contributions that explore these receptors' mechanistic, functional, and therapeutic dynamics within the endocrine system. Topics of interest include:

• Mechanisms of Soluble Receptor Generation: Investigations into proteolytic cleavage, alternative splicing, and their implications for endocrine pathways.

• Dynamic Behavior in Circulation: Studies on ligand-binding properties, receptor-ligand stability, and half-life within plasma, particularly for endocrine hormones and cytokines.

• Roles in Endocrine Physiology and Pathology: Functional analyses of soluble receptors in metabolic regulation, inflammation, and disease modulation, with a focus on conditions like diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

• Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential: Evaluating soluble receptors as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in endocrine diseases.

• Comparative Studies: Examining distinctions and similarities between hormone and cytokine soluble receptors in endocrine disorders, especially in relation to insulin resistance and inflammatory responses.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Soluble Hormone and Cytokine Receptors in Endocrine Signaling and Disease