The endocrine system coordinates many biological functions orchestrating multiple biochemical pathways. Hormones are often implicated in the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases, either increasing susceptibility or conditioning prognosis, and the phenotype of endocrine-metabolic diseases derives from the interaction between hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors. Endocrine-metabolic diseases chronic course determines a substantial burden on health care systems.

The regulatory mechanisms of steroid hormone metabolism, gonadotropin release and action, insulin secretion and action, and adipose tissue metabolism are often investigated to address etiopathogenesis, prevention, and therapy and to improve the outcome. Indeed, the discovery of novel features of the disease mechanisms provides additional therapeutic targets and unveils diagnostic tools for early diagnosis. All approaches pose a range of issues to be addressed by further research. Hence, continuous efforts and increasing interest are directed to the study of the crosstalk between signaling pathways to discover novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets, in a synergic collaboration among different expertise (pharmaceutical chemistry, biology and biochemistry, and clinicians).

The advantage this approach poses rests in the opportunity to use available compounds in different clinical contexts, thus supporting the extension of their therapeutic indications. Interdisciplinary analysis improves the ability to bring basic research findings to the bedside, evaluate the efficacy of interventions across communities, and enable the assessment of the impact of translational medicine innovations on health policies.

We invite authors to contribute original as well as review articles. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Ubiquitary signal transduction molecules as key regulators of biological responses: calcium signaling cascades
• Crosstalk in signal transduction pathways as a leading guide to identify therapeutic targets: new and old molecules for novel targets
• Molecular tests for early diagnosis of metabolic disorders: towards a sophisticated management of complex diseases
• Cardiovascular involvement in patients affected by metabolic disorders
• Inflammatory signaling cascades in metabolic diseases

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/tswj/endocrinology/emeta/ according to the following timetable: