The Role of Epigenetics in Cell Fate Determination, Cancer Development, and Aging
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 15
Special Issue Editors
Interests: epigenetics; cell fate determination; colorectal cancer; aging; DNA methylation; stem cell differentiation; tumor development; epigenetic editing tools
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue on "The Role of Epigenetics in Cell Fate Determination, Cancer Development, and Aging." Epigenetic mechanisms—including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs—are crucial regulators of gene expression that form a bridge between the genome and the environment. These processes are fundamental to establishing and maintaining cellular identity during development and throughout life. Critically, dysregulation of the epigenetic landscape is a hallmark of numerous human diseases, most notably cancer, and is a key driver of the aging process.
This Special Issue aims to gather a collection of high-quality original research and review articles that illuminate the intricate roles of epigenetics in controlling cell fate, driving cancer initiation and progression, and modulating aging. We seek to highlight novel mechanisms, cutting-edge technologies, potential diagnostic biomarkers.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Epigenetic control of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.
- Epigenome editing and the reprogramming of cell fate.
- The role of chromatin remodelers and epigenetic modifiers in development.
- Epigenetic drivers and markers in cancer etiology and tumor heterogeneity.
- Epigenetic clocks and their connection to biological aging.
- Mechanisms driving aberrant epigenetic alterations during aging.
- The interplay between metabolism, environment, and the epigenome in aging and disease.
- Advances in single-cell epigenomics and other novel technologies.
We look forward to receiving your contributions and welcome submissions from research groups led by investigators at all career stages, from emerging postdoctoral fellows and research professors to established leaders in the field.
Dr. Yong Tao
Dr. Wenbing Xie
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- epigenetics
- cell fate determination
- cell fate determination
- cancer epigenetics
- aging
- DNA methylation
- histone modification
- chromatin remodeling
- epigenome editing
- epigenetic therapy
- stem cells
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