Announcements

World Immunization Week, celebrated annually during the last week of April, is a global health awareness initiative highlighting the critical role of vaccines in protecting people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases.

On this momentous occasion, we are thrilled to present a thoughtfully selected compilation of articles and Special Issues that focus on the pioneering research and cutting-edge strategies in immunology and vaccination. We encourage readers to delve into these scholarly contributions and stand with us in our commitment to preserving and enhancing global immunization health.

Join us as we explore the latest findings and innovative methods that are shaping the future of immunization. Together, we can strive towards a world where every individual has access to the life-saving benefits of vaccines.

We hope that the established journals in the fields of biology life sciences and medicine and pharmacology at MDPI will provide a communication platform for innovative ideas regarding prevention and treatment.

“Lifestyle and Biochemical Parameters That May Hamper Immune Responses in Pediatric Patients After Immunization with the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine”
by Anthie Damianaki, Antonios Marmarinos, Margaritis Avgeris, Dimitrios Gourgiotis, Elpis-Athina Vlachopapadopoulou, Marietta Charakida, Maria Tsolia and Lydia Kossiva
Diseases 2025, 13(3), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases13030078

“Evaluating the Potential of Herbal Extracts as Treatment in Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Review of Evidence and Limitations”
by Russell W. Wiggins, Jihoo Woo, John Nicholas Cauba and Shizue Mito
Appl. Biosci. 2025, 4(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci4010001

“Immunotherapeutic Strategies for the Treatment of Glioblastoma: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives”
by Ilaria Salvato and Antonio Marchini
Cancers 2024, 16(7), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16071276

“Unveiling Extramedullary Hematopoiesis: A Case Report Highlighting the Causes, Symptoms, and Management Strategies”
by Konstantinos Manganas, Aikaterini Xydaki, Angeliki Kotsiafti, Olympia Papakonstantinou and Sophia Delicou
Thalass. Rep. 2024, 14(2), 26-32; https://doi.org/10.3390/thalassrep14020004

“Inhibitors of Immune Checkpoints: Small Molecule- and Peptide-Based Approaches”
by Natalie Fuchs, Longfei Zhang, Laura Calvo-Barreiro, Katarzyna Kuncewicz and Moustafa Gabr
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14010068

“Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia: Clinicopathologic Features and New Perspectives on Anti-PF4 Antibody-Mediated Disorders”
by Yi Zhang, Anna-Lise Bissola, Jared Treverton, Michael Hack, Mark Lychacz, Sarah Kwok, Addi Arnold and Ishac Nazy
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(4), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13041012

“Immune Response to Respiratory Viral Infections”
by Antonella Gambadauro, Francesca Galletta, Alessandra Li Pomi, Sara Manti and Giovanni Piedimonte
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(11), 6178; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25116178

“Neutrophil Extracellular DNA Traps in Response to Infection or Inflammation, and the Roles of Platelet Interactions”
by William A. Chen and Danilo S. Boskovic
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 3025; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25053025

“Host Immune Regulation in Implant-Associated Infection (IAI): What Does the Current Evidence Provide Us to Prevent or Treat IAI?”
by Zulipikaer Maimaiti, Zhuo Li, Chi Xu, Jun Fu, Li-Bo Hao, Ji-Ying Chen and Wei Chai
Bioengineering 2023, 10(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10030356

“Airborne Pollen Calendar of Toluca City, Mexico”
by Maria Cid del Prado, Osvaldo Zarco-Cid del Prado, Hilda Adriana Guerrero-Parra and Karla Elisa Juárez Contreras
Aerobiology 2023, 1(1), 54-69; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerobiology1010005

“Innovative Therapies and Management of Complications in Hemoglobinopathies”	“Peptide-Based Vaccines: An Efficient Alternative to Combat Infectious Diseases and Drug Resistance”
“Immunotherapy in the Management of Hematologic Malignancy”	“Feature Review for Applied Biosciences”
“Advances in Transfusion Medicine and Immunological Research”	“Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Bioaerosol Detection, Characterization, and Modeling”

Dr. Pasquale Marrazzo is one of the authors of the highly viewed article entitled “Characterization of Perinatal Stem Cell Spheroids for the Development of Cell Therapy Strategy” published in Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354). Dr. Pasquale Marrazzo completed his Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Bologna, Italy. His main research interests are directed towards regenerative medicine and cellular microbiology. Dr. Marrazzo has experience in companies in the biomedical sector and short-term at foreign institutes to support research projects. Currently, his main activities frame the study of 3D cultures of human perinatal stem cells and the characterization of sustainable organic materials that support their in vitro expansion and therapeutic potential.

The following is an interview with Dr. Pasquale Marrazzo:

1. Can you give a bit of background about yourself and what your research areas are? Could
you please briefly introduce the main research content of the published paper?

2. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations encountered in this research?

3. What made you decide to publish a bioengineering article and why did you choose the Bioengineering journal as a platform for publishing your work?

4. What is your experience publishing with Bioengineering?

5. How do you think open access way of publishing impacts authors?

6. What are the key takeaways you hope readers will gain from your paper?

Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354) owes much of its success and esteemed reputation to the dedication of its Editorial Board Members. The Editorial Office deeply appreciates the hard work and commitment of our editors. Thus, the Bioengineering Editor of Distinction Award is granted annually to acknowledge the exceptional contributions of our Editorial Board Members to maintaining the journal’s high international standards. This award honors two Editorial Board Members every year, and the winners are announced by the end of April in the following year.

Prize:

• CHF 500;
• A voucher for article processing fees valid for one year;
• A certificate.

Number of Winners: 2.

Eligibility for the Award:

• All Editorial Board Members, excluding the Editor-in-Chief, Section Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors are eligible;
• Candidates for this award must make contributions in 2025.

Bioengineering Editorial Office

On behalf of the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, the Bioengineering Editorial Office would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Guest Editors for their invaluable contributions to the development of Special Issues in Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354). To recognize their outstanding efforts, we are pleased to announce the Bioengineering Outstanding Special Issue Award. This award will honor two Special Issues closed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025, selected through a thorough evaluation by the Award Committee, led by the Editor-in-Chief. The winners will be announced by the end of April in the following year.

For each winning Special Issue, the Guest Editor team will receive the following:

• CHF 500;
• A voucher for article processing fees valid for one year for each Guest Editor;
• A certificate.

Number of Winners: 2.

Eligibility for the Award:

• Special Issues that are closed in 2025;
• Special Issues with more than 10 published papers.

Bioengineering Editorial Office

The journal Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354) is recruiting Reviewer Board Members. The main responsibility of the new members of the Reviewer Board is to provide timely, high-quality reports on submitted manuscripts. To qualify as a reviewer, applicants must have a proven publication record (Scopus, ORCID) related to the science and technology of bioengineering and hold a Ph.D. or an MD. More information on reviewer responsibilities is available at https://www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

The Reviewer Board consists of experienced researchers whose main responsibility is regularly and actively supporting Bioengineering by providing high-quality, rigorous, and transparent review reports for submitted manuscripts within their area of expertise. The initial term is 1 year in length, which can be renewed or terminated. Membership involves the same responsibilities and benefits as regular reviewers, with the addition of the following:

• Reviewer Board Members (RBMs) must review a minimum of six manuscripts per year. Should the reviewer be unable to provide a report when invited, they are expected to suggest potential alternative reviewers (the proposed candidates must meet the reviewers’ requirements (https://www.mdpi.com/reviewers#_bookmark2);
• For each review, you will receive a discount voucher that can be used for reducing the article processing charge (APC) relating to a future submission to any MDPI journal;
• RBMs have the opportunity to publish one paper per year with a 20% discount on the APC (once accepted for publication after peer review);
• You will be considered for the journal’s Outstanding Reviewer Award;
• RBMs are entitled to receive an RB certificate;
• RBMs are announced on the journal website;
• Active RBMs may be promoted to the Topical Advisory Panel and Early Career Editorial Board (subject to approval by the Editor-in-Chief).

If you are interested in this role or have any recommendations, please email us at bioengineering@mdpi.com. We hope to hear from you soon.

For more information about Bioengineering, please visit the website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/bioengineering.

Conference: TERMIS EU Congress 2025
Date: 20–23 May 2025
Location: Freiburg, Germany

MDPI will be attending the TERMIS EU Congress 2025 as an exhibitor, which will be held from 20 to 23 May 2025, and we welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

TERMIS EU 2025 spans multiple fields of science and explores interdisciplinary diversity to find common mechanisms in inflammation, mechanisms of regeneration, and tissue engineering strategies; it combines basic science and clinical science as a multi-scale science (from molecules to patients). The main aim of this conference is to share the newest information in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. With “innovation”, “translation”, and “digitalization”, TERMIS 2025 is going to “shape the future by connecting scientific diversity”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Biomedicines;
• Bioengineering;
• Biomimetics;
• Diseases;
• Emergency Care and Medicine;
• Hematology Reports;
• Neurology International.

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://eu2025.termis.org/.

To further develop various research areas and to refine the journal’s scope, Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354) is recruiting a Section Editor-in-Chief for the Section “Nanobiotechnology and Biofabrication”.

The main responsibilities of the Section Editor-in-Chief include the following:

• Acting as ambassador for the journal, MDPI and open access publishing;
• Scientific decisions about the scope of their Section;
• Inviting distinguished scientists to join the Editorial Board;
• Suggesting topics for Special Issues;
• Providing support and guidance to Editorial Board Members and editorial staff where required;
• Maintaining oversight of the editorial process for individual manuscripts in their Section (mainly by making the final decision regarding whether a paper can be published after peer review and revisions);
• Understanding, leading, and upholding MDPI’s peer review guidelines and ethics guidelines.

This position is open to experts on related aspects of nanobiotechnology and biofabrication and will remain open until the journal formally announces the Section Editor-in-Chief online. To apply for this position, recommend potential candidates, or request further information, please contact the Bioengineering Editorial Office at bioengineering@mdpi.com or the Section Managing Editor, Ms. Julia Ding at julia.ding@mdpi.com.

Bioengineering is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of bioengineering, published monthly online by MDPI in Basel, Switzerland. This journal provides an advanced forum for the exchange of research on the science and technology of bioengineering. It publishes original research papers, comprehensive reviews, and communications. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. All aspects of bioengineering are welcome, from theoretical concepts to applications. The journal has been indexed in Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE: Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, CAPlus / SciFinder, Inspec, and other databases. The impact factor for Bioengineering (2023) is 3.8, ranking Q2 in the “Engineering, Biomedical” category.

To further develop various research areas and to refine the journal’s scope, Bioengineering (ISSN: 2306-5354) is recruiting a Section Editor-in-Chief for the Section “Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering”.

The main responsibilities of the Section Editor-in-Chief include the following:

• Acting as an ambassador for the journal, MDPI, and open access publishing;
• Scientific decisions about the scope of their section;
• Inviting distinguished scientists to join the Editorial Board;
• Suggesting topics for Special Issues;
• Providing support and guidance to Editorial Board Members and Editorial Staff where required;
• Maintaining oversight of the editorial process for individual manuscripts in their section (mainly by making the final decision regarding whether or not a paper can be published after peer review and revisions);
• Understanding, leading, and upholding MDPI’s peer review and ethics guidelines.

This position is open to experts on related aspects of cellular and molecular bioengineering and will remain open until the journal formally announces the Section Editor-in-Chief online. To apply for this position, recommend potential candidates, or request further information, please contact the Bioengineering Editorial Office or the Section Managing Editor, Ms. Winni Liu (winni.liu@mdpi.com).

Bioengineering is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of bioengineering, published monthly online by MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This journal provides an advanced forum for the exchange of research on the science and technology of bioengineering. It publishes original research papers, comprehensive reviews, and communications. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. All aspects of bioengineering are welcome, from theoretical concepts to applications. The journal has been indexed in Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE: Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, CAPlus/SciFinder, Inspec, and other databases. The Impact Factor for Bioengineering (2023) is 3.8, ranking Q2 in the “Engineering, Biomedical” category.

Throughout history, engineering has played an essential role in development and human welfare. Ensuring that future generations of engineers and scientists will be able to design solutions for local and global challenges is critical.

World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development on March 4th aims to raise awareness of the role of engineering in modern life, which is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change and advancing sustainable development, especially in Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This year’s theme is “Unleashing the Power of Engineers to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

Sustainability has always been a core value of MDPI, starting with the collection and preservation of rare chemical samples that started in 1996 and led to the first journal, Molecules (ISSN: 1420-3049). As a global enterprise, it is our duty to advance responsible practices that will ensure a bright future for our planet. MDPI’s commitment to sustainability is focused on open access publishing that promotes content related not only to environmental sustainability, but to all 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) defined by the UN.

To commemorate this special day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful journals, articles, and Special Issues in the field of engineering. By sharing these findings, we hope to inspire the next generation of engineers, elevate engineering capacities, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Vastness of Tribology Research Fields and Their Contribution to Sustainable Development”
by Enrico Ciulli
Lubricants 2024, 12(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12020033

“Steam Explosion-Based Method for the Extraction of Cellulose and Lignin from Rice Straw Waste”
by Víctor M. Serrano-Martínez, Henoc Pérez-Aguilar, María Pilar Carbonell-Blasco, Francisca Arán-Ais and Elena Orgilés-Calpena
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 2059; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14052059

“Green-Powered Electric Public Mobility: Integrating Urban and Interurban Routes—A Case Study Analysis”
by Alessandro Franco, Giovanni Lutzemberger, Marco Giorgio Bevilacqua, Francesco Giuseppe Quilici and Matilde Vezzani
Electricity 2024, 5(2), 254–270; https://doi.org/10.3390/electricity5020013

“Evaluating Sustainable Practices for Managing Residue Derived from Wheat Straw”
by Harikishore Shanmugam, Vijaya Raghavan, Rajinikanth Rajagopal, Bernard Goyette, Linxiang Lyu, Siyuan Zhou and Chunjiang An
Bioengineering 2024, 11(6), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11060554

“A Telemetric Framework for Assessing Vehicle Emissions Based on Driving Behavior Using Unsupervised Learning”
by Auwal Sagir Muhammad, Cheng Wang and Longbiao Chen
Vehicles 2024, 6(4), 2170–2194; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6040106

Special Issues:

“Advances in Energy Harvesting Technologies for Wearable Devices”
by Minki Kang and Woon-Hong Yeo
Micromachines 2024, 15(7), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15070884

“Integration of Smart Cities and Building Information Modeling (BIM) for a Sustainability Oriented Business Model to Address Sustainable Development Goals”
by Zhen Liu, Yixin Liu and Mohamed Osmani
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051458

“Synergistic Applications of Graphene-Based Materials and Deep Eutectic Solvents in Sustainable Sensing: A Comprehensive Review”
by Rossella Svigelj, Rosanna Toniolo, Cristina Bertoni and Alessandro Fraleoni-Morgera
Sensors 2024, 24(8), 2403; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24082403

“Sustainable Power Generation Expansion in Island Systems with Extensive RES and Energy Storage”
by Emmanuel Karapidakis, Christos Kalogerakis and Evangelos Pompodakis
Inventions 2023, 8(5), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions8050127

“Modeling the Global Annual Carbon Footprint for the Transportation Sector and a Path to Sustainability”
by Vikram Mittal and Rajesh Shah
Modelling 2023, 4(2), 264–282; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling4020015

Special Issues: