An Introduction to the Special Issue “Protein Glycation in Food, Nutrition, Health and Disease”

Abstract

On 20–24 September 2021, leading researchers in the field of glycation met online at the 14th International Symposium on the Maillard Reaction (IMARS-14), hosted by the authors of this introductory editorial, who are from Doha, Qatar. The conference was well-attended, with presentations from 22 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North, Central, and South America. The keynote speaker was Lasker Laureate Professor Kazutoshi Mori, speaking on the unfolded protein response, and there were sessions on: glycation in obesity, diabetes, and diabetic complications; glycation in food; glycation through the life course—from maternal bonding to aging; glycation in plants—physiology, function, and food security; glycation in the COVID-19 response; glycation analytics and chemistry; glycation in kidney disease, cancer, and mental health; glycation-related imaging, diagnostic algorithms, and therapeutics; and methods and models in glycation research. The IJMS Special Issue on “Protein Glycation in Food, Nutrition, Health and Disease” brings together papers on some of the key issues covered in the virtual conference. We also introduced to the conference the “Doha Glycation declaration”—an outline of areas of glycation research which will likely be fruitful to pursue to future studies, which gained widespread support. In this editorial, we give a brief introduction to this Special Issue, the development of glycation research, the papers presented, and the declaration. We hope that you enjoy this Special Issue on glycation research.