Announcements

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

The editorial team at Antibodies extends our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated reviewers whose expertise and commitment have been key to the journal's success in 2024. Last year, Antibodies received 506 review reports from 296 reviewers representing 49 countries and regions worldwide.

To recognize the invaluable time, effort, and attention to detail that each reviewer dedicates, Antibodies expresses its sincere gratitude through an annual acknowledgment of reviewers. As a further token of appreciation, all reviewers are eligible for the Outstanding Reviewer Award, which honors their essential role in enhancing the quality of our publications.

We are honored to recognize the reviewers who allowed us to publish their names each year. The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

[List of Reviewers]

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.

Cancer impacts millions of lives worldwide, yet each person’s journey with the disease is uniquely their own. World Cancer Day reminds us that while the disease impacts individuals differently, our shared strength, innovation, and focus on holistic care bring us closer to a future where cancer no longer dictates lives. Every experience, challenge, and success story contribute to the broader fight against cancer, demonstrating the resilience and hope that unite us all. As we continue to make strides through innovative research, treatment advancements, and global collaboration, it is essential to recognize both the diversity of stories and our common goal of overcoming cancer together.

In observance of this day, we invite you to explore the following resources that delve into the field of cancer and the cutting-edge advancements shaping its care. By prioritizing people-centered treatment where patients’ voices and needs guide care, we can ensure personalized attention for all. It is our hope to foster a deeper understanding of the impact of cancer and encourage meaningful action to support patients, caregivers, and researchers in their pursuit of a world free from cancer’s hold. Together, we can inspire action and work toward a cancer-free future.

“Rare Variants of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Features and Diagnostic Pitfalls”
by Celestine M. Trinidad, Sintawat Wangsiricharoen, Victor G. Prieto and Phyu P. Aung
Dermatopathology 2023, 10(1), 54–62; https://doi.org/10.3390/dermatopathology10010008

“Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles as Anticancer Agents: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective”
by Adarsh Kumar, Ankit Kumar Singh, Harshwardhan Singh, Veena Vijayan, Deepak Kumar, Jashwanth Naik, Suresh Thareja, Jagat Pal Yadav, Prateek Pathak, Maria Grishina et al.
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(2), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16020299

“Artificial Intelligence in Brain Tumor Imaging: A Step toward Personalized Medicine”
by Maurizio Cè, Giovanni Irmici, Chiara Foschini, Giulia Maria Danesini, Lydia Viviana Falsitta, Maria Lina Serio, Andrea Fontana, Carlo Martinenghi, Giancarlo Oliva and Michaela Cellina
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 2673–2701; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030203

“Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Options and Limitations: Future Outlook”
by Onyinyechi Obidiro, Gantumur Battogtokh and Emmanuel O. Akala
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071796

“Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: An Old Story with a New End”
by Lyvia Neves Rebello Alves, Débora Dummer Meira, Luiza Poppe Merigueti, Matheus Correia Casotti, Diego do Prado Ventorim, Jucimara Ferreira Figueiredo Almeida, Valdemir Pereira de Sousa, Marllon Cindra Sant’Ana, Rahna Gonçalves Coutinho da Cruz, Luana Santos Louro et al.
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071364

“Could Microbiome Be the Common Co-Denominator between Type 2 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer?”
by Marin Golčić and Andrej Belančić
Diabetology 2023, 4(4), 553–559; https://doi.org/10.3390/diabetology4040049

“Targeting Solute Carrier Transporters (SLCs) as a Therapeutic Target in Different Cancers”
by Ravi Bharadwaj, Swati Jaiswal, Erandi E. Velarde de la Cruz and Ritesh P. Thakare
Diseases 2024, 12(3), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12030063

“Significance of TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4 and KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer”
by Dimitrios Stefanoudakis, Maximos Frountzas, Dimitrios Schizas, Nikolaos V. Michalopoulos, Alexandra Drakaki and Konstantinos G. Toutouzas
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 2827–2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46040177

“Metformin: From Diabetes to Cancer—Unveiling Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies”
by Emilia Amengual-Cladera, Pere Miquel Morla-Barcelo, Andrea Morán-Costoya, Jorge Sastre-Serra, Daniel Gabriel Pons, Adamo Valle, Pilar Roca and Mercedes Nadal-Serrano
Biology 2024, 13(5), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050302

“Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Fundamental Mechanisms, Current Status and Future Directions”
by Abdullah Younis and John Gribben
Immuno 2024, 4(3), 186–210; https://doi.org/10.3390/immuno4030013

“Breast Cancer Screening among African Immigrants in the United States: An Integrative Review of Barriers, Facilitators, and Interventions”
by Julian I. Rauch, Joseph Daniels, Alyssa Robillard and Rodney P. Joseph
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081004

“Predicting Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Interpretable Machine Learning: A Retrospective Analysis”
by Salem Shamsul Alam, Saif Ahmed, Taseef Hasan Farook and James Dudley
Oral 2024, 4(3), 386–404; https://doi.org/10.3390/oral4030032

Nine new journals covering multiple subjects launched their inaugural issues in December 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the Editorial Board Members, and each journal will ensure its high-quality output by using excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong City University of Hong Kong, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue	Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory;  convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue	clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue	early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

Conference: The 145th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
Date: 26–29 March 2025
Location: Fukuoka, Japan

MDPI will be attending the 145th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan as an exhibitor, which will be held from 26 to 29 March 2025, and we welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The conference is organized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan and chaired by Prof. Takashi Ohshima from the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University. The theme is Promoting the Ecosystem in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Future Innovation through Cross-disciplinary Collaboration. This conference will bring together around 5,000 scientists and students to share research advances covering a wide range of scientific topics. The sessions include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Pharmaceutical Chemistry; 2) Pharmaceutical Physics; 3) Pharmaceutical Biology; 4) Pharmaceutical Health Science and Environmental Toxicology; 5) Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences; and 6) Others.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Biomedicines
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pharmaceutics
• Antibiotics
• Antibodies
• Antioxidants
• CIMB
• Diseases
• Future Pharmacology
• IJERPH
• IJMS
• IJTM
• JNT
• JPM
• Marine Drugs
• Medicina
• Medicines
• Metabolites
• Psychoactives
• Sci. Pharm
• Sclerosis

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://pub.confit.atlas.jp/en/event/pharm145.

More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.

This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.

"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."

Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."

The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.

"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."

Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.

More Information

• Conditions and participation opportunities (German): Link
• Frequently asked questions (German): Link

Contact

• ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen ([email protected]) - Website
  MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager ([email protected])
  
  

About ZB MED

ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.

The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:

• Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
• Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
• Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
• Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
• Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.

More information at www.zbmed.de.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.

We are pleased to announce a series of updates to our template, aimed at improving the readability and overall aesthetics of our publications. These changes have been meticulously designed to enhance the user experience and ensure consistency across all our publications. The updated template will be available for download from the Instructions for Authors page.

The following updates will be applied to articles published in the 2025 volumes, starting on 24 December 2024:

• Main text: The line spacing has been increased to improve the readability of publications;
• Header and footer: The link to the journal website will be removed, as a hyperlink has been integrated into the journal logo. Additionally, the DOI link will be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, and both the header and footer will be slightly raised to achieve a better balance;
• Left information bar: The information provided here has been rearranged for better organization; the CC-BY logo will be removed;
• Font size: The font size used for the abstract, keywords, and first-level headings will be increased.

Furthermore, MDPI journals will continue to use article numbers. This approach enables us to maintain a rapid and efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with a better experience and make the process more convenient.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 685 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 39 different countries and territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 by Clarivate. This distinction highlights their exceptional scientific achievements and significant contributions, which transcend academic boundaries to advance global knowledge, sustainability, security, and well-being.

Clarivate's annual Highly Cited Researcher™ list identifies the most influential scientists of the past decade, whose work has had a profound and widespread impact across various scientific and social science disciplines. Their impactful papers rank among the top 1% by citations in one or more of the 21 fields analyzed within the "Essential Science Indicators," marking them as leaders in their respective domains.

"Highly Cited Researchers have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research," according to Clarivate. In 2024, a total of 6,886 Highly Cited Researcher designations were awarded to 6,636 individuals.

The following is a list of MDPI's Editorial Board Members named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024. We congratulate them for their achievement and their contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.

We are honored to announce that Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn will serve as the Chair of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee.

Name: Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn
Affiliation: College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes.

The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee, under Prof. Dr. Kinghorn's guidance, will focus on identifying innovative research in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. The committee will aim to identify groundbreaking work with the potential to lead to significant advancements in these areas.

We are confident that, with Prof. Dr. Kinghorn at the helm, the 2024 Tu Youyou Award will continue to inspire excellence and innovation in the related fields.

About the Tu Youyou Award
Established in 2016, the Tu Youyou Award seeks to honor those who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. This award offers a total prize of CHF 100,000, which will be equally divided among the winners if there is more than one, with each recipient receiving an award medal.

The 2024 Tu Youyou Award remains open for nominations until 31 December 2024. We encourage all eligible candidates to participate in this prestigious recognition, as this award not only honors individual achievement but also encourages further scientific exchange, exploration and discovery in critical areas of medicine.

If you are interested in participating, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website for more information on the nomination requirements.