Leukemia Stem Cells: Persistence, Resistance, and Novel Eradication Strategies
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 30
Special Issue Editors
2. Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM) gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
Interests: AML; LSCs; drug treatment; cell therapies; cell metabolism; single cell technology; NGS
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains one of the most aggressive hematologic malignancies, characterized by high relapse rates and limited long-term survival. Therapeutic failure is largely driven by leukemia-initiating/stem cells (LICs/LSCs)—a quiescent, drug-resistant cell population at the apex of the leukemic hierarchy that sustains disease and initiates relapse.
While conventional chemotherapy effectively eliminates the proliferating bulk of blasts, LSCs frequently persist due to mechanisms such as cellular quiescence, metabolic plasticity, and microenvironment-mediated protection, ultimately leading to minimal residual disease (MRD). Despite the promise of novel regimens (e.g., venetoclax/azacitidine), conventional regimen such as chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and emerging cellular therapies such as CAR-T cells, LSC persistence remains a major barrier to curative treatment, and eradication of the disease is still a distant goal.
We are delighted to invite you to contribute your research to this Special Issue, which focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of LSC persistence and overcoming therapeutic resistance across all major treatment modalities. This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance the understanding of LSC biology and support the development of novel eradication strategies in both pre-clinical and clinical settings.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- LSC Persistence Mechanisms: Molecular, epigenetic, and metabolic vulnerabilities that enable LSC survival and quiescence following conventional chemotherapy, VEN/AZA, or novel therapeutic agents.
- Therapeutic Resistance: Pre-clinical and clinical insights into how LSCs evade eradication by HSCT, CAR-T cells, or other cellular therapies, including the role of the leukemic microenvironment.
- Novel Identification and Monitoring Approaches: Advanced methods such as clinical flow cytometry, single-cell sequencing, and functional assays to identify, quantify, and track LSCs and MRD, including assessments of dormancy and activation states.
- Targeted Eradication Strategies: Pre-clinical development of small molecules, immunotherapies, or gene-modified cell therapies designed to selectively disrupt LSC-specific pathways (e.g., signaling, metabolism, apoptosis resistance).
We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to working together to advance this critical field of research.
Dr. Elisa Donato
Dr. Darja Karpova
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 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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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
- leukemia stem cells (LSCs)
- acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- therapeutic resistance
- minimal residual disease (MRD)
- LSC quiescence
- cellular therapy
- hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
- LSC microenvironment
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.
