Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastasis
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026
Special Issue Editors
2. Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Interests: redox signaling; mitochondrial metabolism; synthetic lethality in cancer; patient-derived models; cancer therapy; invasion; migration; cancer signaling; immunotherapy; chemotherapy; transcriptomics; CRISPR
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer cell invasion and metastasis remain the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide and are driven by complex interactions among genetic, metabolic, and microenvironmental factors. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for identifying new therapeutic vulnerabilities and improving clinical outcomes.
This Special Issue, “Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastasis,” aims to highlight advances that uncover how cancer cells invade, disseminate, survive in circulation, and colonize distant organs. We particularly welcome studies dissecting tumor cell plasticity, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), cytoskeletal remodeling, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, immune evasion, metabolic rewiring, and tumor–stromal interactions. Research that links molecular pathways to functional phenotypes or identifies actionable targets, predictive biomarkers, and therapeutic opportunities is strongly encouraged.
Innovative model systems, including patient-derived xenografts, 3D cultures, and genome-wide functional screens, are also of interest, as they provide deeper mechanistic insights into invasion–metastasis biology. This topic aligns closely with the journal’s mission to advance fundamental and translational cancer research.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, molecular drivers of invasion and metastasis, redox and metabolic signaling in metastatic progression, EMT, plasticity, and stem-like phenotypes, tumor microenvironment and immune–stromal interactions, and ECM remodeling and mechanobiology.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Dr. Silpa Gampala
Guest Editor
Dr. Veena Kumari Vuttaradhi
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- cancer cell invasion
- metastasis
- tumor microenvironment
- redox and metabolic signaling
- EMT and cellular plasticity
- extracellular matrix remodeling
- oncogenic signaling pathways
- metastatic therapeutic targets
- tumor–stromal interactions
- functional genomics in metastasis
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