Activation of Apoptosis Pathways by Drugs: Innovative Strategies for Targeted Cancer Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a fundamental biological process critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis and eliminating damaged or malignant cells. Dysregulation of apoptosis pathways is a hallmark of cancer, enabling tumor cells to evade cell death and become resistant to conventional therapies. Targeting apoptosis-related proteins (e.g., Bcl-2 family, caspases, and death receptors) has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome therapeutic resistance and improve outcomes in aggressive malignancies. This Special Issue aims to consolidate recent advances in apoptosis-targeted drug development, elucidate mechanisms of action, and explore translational applications in precision oncology.

Focus of the Special Issue

This Special Issue will highlight three key areas of apoptosis-targeted cancer therapy:

• Molecular Mechanisms and Drug Design:

Structural and functional insights into apoptosis regulators (e.g., Bcl-2, MCL-1, and XIAP);
Development of small-molecule inhibitors, peptides, and biologics targeting pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic proteins;
Synergistic interactions between apoptosis inducers and conventional therapies (e.g., chemotherapy and immunotherapy).

• Preclinical and Clinical Advances:

Novel agents in early-phase trials (e.g., BH3 mimetics, SMAC mimetics, and TRAIL receptor agonists);
Biomarkers predicting response to apoptosis-targeted drugs (e.g., Bcl-2 expression and mitochondrial membrane potential);
Overcoming resistance mechanisms (e.g., compensatory upregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins).

• Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine:

Rational drug combinations to enhance apoptosis induction (e.g., PARP inhibitors + BH3 mimetics);
Patient stratification based on molecular profiles for tailored apoptosis-targeted regimens;
Clinical outcomes and real-world data from trials evaluating apoptosis-driven therapies.

We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews focused on but not limited to the following topics:

• Mechanisms of apoptosis induction by novel drugs (e.g., PROTACs and nanomedicines);
• Preclinical models (e.g., organoids and PDX) for evaluating apoptosis-targeted agents;
• Clinical trial results on efficacy, safety, and biomarker validation;
• Resistance mechanisms and strategies to circumvent them;
• Computational approaches (e.g., AI and molecular docking) for drug discovery.

Dr. Faisal F. Y. Radwan
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines 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 2600 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.

• apoptosis
• targeted cancer therapy
• BH3 mimetics
• SMAC mimetics
• drug resistance
• precision oncology
• biomarkers
• combination therapy