Advances in Cold Therapies: Novel Physical Approaches for Musculoskeletal Repair–Molecular Insights
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 6 February 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cold therapy; cryoablation; musculoskeletal regeneration; inflammation modulation; extracellular matrix; cartilage repair; osteoarthritis; regenerative medicine; drug delivery; physical therapy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoarthritis, soft tissue injuries, and post-surgical complications, represent a major global health burden. Traditional management strategies, ranging from pharmacologic interventions to surgical repair, often fall short in restoring full function and alleviating chronic inflammation or pain. Recently, cold therapies have gained renewed interest as non-invasive, biophysically driven approaches that modulate local inflammation, cellular signaling, and tissue repair.
This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge advancements in cold-based interventions, including cryotherapy, cold plasma, cryoablation, and cold shock proteins and their mechanistic effects at the molecular and cellular levels. Emerging evidence suggests that these modalities may alter immune responses, reduce oxidative stress, enhance stem cell viability, and influence extracellular matrix remodeling, positioning cold therapies as powerful tools in regenerative musculoskeletal medicine.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, and translational studies investigating novel cold modalities, mechanisms of action, therapeutic windows, and clinical applications across orthopedics, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. Interdisciplinary contributions combining biophysics, molecular biology, and clinical innovation are especially encouraged.
Together, these works will advance our understanding of how physical stimuli can be harnessed to promote repair and recovery in musculoskeletal tissues, opening new avenues for safe, cost-effective, and scalable interventions.
Dr. Fackson Mwale
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 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. Biomolecules 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
- cold therapy
- cryotherapy
- cryoablation
- musculoskeletal repair
- inflammation modulation
- regenerative medicine
- extracellular matrix
- cold shock proteins
- tissue regeneration
- physical therapy
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
