Announcements
25 February 2026
Cells | Selected Papers on Gut Microbiota Published in 2024–2025
20 February 2026
MDPI Virtual Academic Publishing Workshop (New Harvest), 25 February 2026
This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Sally Wu, on “Author Training”. Participants will receive practical advice on essential aspects of writing academic articles. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the academic publishing landscape and how to successfully contribute to it.
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Schedule:
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Speaker |
Program |
Time in EST |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Introduction |
11:30–11:40 a.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Tips for Writing Great Research Papers
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11:40 a.m.–12:15 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
How to Respond to Peer Reviewers
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12:15–12:50 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
AI in Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities
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12:50–13:30 p.m. |
Speakers:
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Dr. Sally Wu received a PhD in medical science from the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025. She joined MDPI in February 2025 as an Assistant Editor for Cells. She was recently promoted to Regional Journal Relations Specialist position in August. In this role, she works with many journals, liaising with authors, board members, and EiCs. She has attended several conferences across North America, hosted scholar visits, and taken part in other outreach events. |
18 February 2026
MDPI’s Open Access Program Reaches 1,000 Institutions Worldwide
11 February 2026
MDPI Webinar | World Cancer Day, 12 February 2026
To commemorate World Cancer Day 2026, MDPI is delighted to introduce the “World Cancer Day 2026 Webinar Series”. Reflecting the global theme “United by Unique,” this series reminds us that each story, discovery, and voice plays a vital role in strengthening the world’s collective fight against cancer.
Kicking off with our February session, this first installment welcomes leading voices in oncology to share impactful insights, raise awareness, and spotlight breakthrough research.
Through this series, we aim to empower the global community with knowledge, inspire collaboration, and support ongoing efforts in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Together, we will honor every patient’s journey, elevate the contributions of researchers, and reinforce the power of collective action in the fight against cancer.
Date: 12 February 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. CET | 12:00 p.m. EST | 1:00 a.m. CST (Asia)
Webinar ID: 899 8080 6135
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Register now for free!
Program:
| Speaker and Presentation Title | Time in CET | Time in EST |
| Introduction | 6:00–6:10 p.m. | 12:00–12:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Xiang Xue PINK1 Deficiency Facilitates Mitochondrial Iron Accumulation and Colon Tumorigenesis |
6:10–6:30 p.m. | 12:10–12:30 p.m. |
| Dr. Federico Pio Fabrizio Epigenetics of KEAP1/NRF2 Signaling: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Implications |
6:30–6:50 p.m. | 12:30–12:50 p.m. |
| Dr. Anis Ahmad Protecting Healthy Organs While Treating Cancer: New Molecular Strategies to Improve Survivorship |
6:50–7:10 p.m. | 12:50–1:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Hiroaki Kiyokawa Stabilizing Tumor Suppressors: Therapeutic Frontiers in Precision Medicine |
7:10–7:30 p.m. | 1:10–1:30 p.m. |
| Q&A Session | 7:30–7:55 p.m. | 1:30–1:55 p.m. |
| Closing of Webinar | 7:55–8:00 p.m. | 1:55–2:00 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available for viewing.
Webinar Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Xiang Xue, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, USA;
- Dr. Federico Pio Fabrizio, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kore University of Enna, Italy;
- Dr. Anis Ahmad, Department of Radiation Oncology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA;
- Dr. Hiroaki Kiyokawa, Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA.
11 February 2026
Meet Us at the USCAP 115th Annual Meeting 2026, 21–26 March, San Antonio, Texas, USA
5 February 2026
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Cells in 2025
3 February 2026
World Cancer Day—“United by Unique”, 4 February 2026
World Cancer Day draws global attention to the ongoing fight against cancer—one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Observed annually on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites individuals, communities, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in a shared commitment to reduce the global cancer burden and improve outcomes for patients everywhere.
Aligned with this year’s theme and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), the initiative calls for greater awareness, early detection, equitable access to care, and sustained investment in cancer research and innovation. From prevention and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, addressing cancer requires coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts across healthcare systems and scientific communities worldwide.
In support of World Cancer Day, selected MDPI journals highlight cutting-edge research across the cancer continuum, including advances in oncology, diagnostics, therapeutics, public health, and patient-centred care. Through curated articles, Special Issues, and expert-led webinars, these journals aim to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration to accelerate progress toward a future where cancer prevention and treatment are accessible, effective, and equitable for all.
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In 2026, MDPI is honored to support World Cancer Day through a monthly awareness ries beginning in February. Each session will focus on a key cancer awareness theme, showcasing cutting-edge research and expert insights through specially curated landing pages and a dedicated webinar series. Through this special activity, we aim to sustain engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration throughout the year. Below is the list of events. You may click on the respective links (updated throughout the year, closer to each event month) to access the individual event pages.
| Month | Relevant Cancer Awareness Month |
| January | Cervical Cancer Awareness Month |
| February | World Cancer Day |
| March | Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month |
| April | Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month |
| May | Bladder Cancer Awareness Month |
| June | Cancer Survivorship Awareness Month |
| July | Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month |
| August | Brain Cancer Awareness Month |
| September | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month |
| October | Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
| November | Lung Cancer Awareness Month |
| December | Skin Cancer Awareness Month |
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Dr. Xiang Xue, |
Dr. Federico Pio Fabrizio, |
Dr. Anis Ahmad, |
Dr. Hiroaki Kiyokawa, |
Register for this webinar for free here!
“Molecular Insight and Antioxidative Therapeutic Potentials of Plant-Derived Compounds in Breast Cancer Treatment”
by Sandhya Shukla, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Adarsha Mahendra Upadhyay, Navin Ray, Fowzul Islam Fahad, Arulkumar Nagappan, Sayan Deb Dutta and Raj Kumar Mongre
Onco 2025, 5(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/onco5020027
“Comprehensive Analysis of Advancement in Optical Biosensing Techniques for Early Detection of Cancerous Cells”
by Ayushman Ramola, Amit Kumar Shakya and Arik Bergman
Biosensors 2025, 15(5), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15050292
“Advancing Cancer Treatment: A Review of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Combination Strategies”
by Valencia Mc Neil and Seung Won Lee
Cancers 2025, 17(9), 1408; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17091408
“Prunin: An Emerging Anticancer Flavonoid”
by Juie Nahushkumar Rana and Sohail Mumtaz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062678
“Advancing Cancer Therapy with Quantum Dots and Other Nanostructures: A Review of Drug Delivery Innovations, Applications, and Challenges”
by Ashutosh Pareek, Deepanjali Kumar, Aaushi Pareek and Madan Mohan Gupta
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050878
“From Bench to Bedside: Transforming Cancer Therapy with Protease Inhibitors”
by Alireza Shoari
Targets 2025, 3(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/targets3010008
“Breast Cancer and Tumor Microenvironment: The Crucial Role of Immune Cells”
by Tânia Moura, Paula Laranjeira, Olga Caramelo, Ana M. Gil and Artur Paiva
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32030143
“Mechanisms and Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer”
by Jennifer Haynes and Prasath Manogaran
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(5), 1988; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26051988
“Polyphenol-Based Prevention and Treatment of Cancer Through Epigenetic and Combinatorial Mechanisms”
by Neha Singaravelan and Trygve O. Tollefsbol
Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040616
“Advances in Drug Targeting, Drug Delivery, and Nanotechnology Applications: Therapeutic Significance in Cancer Treatment”
by Fatih Ciftci, Ali Can Özarslan, İmran Cagri Kantarci, Aslihan Yelkenci, Ozlem Tavukcuoglu and Mansour Ghorbanpour
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17010121
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“Genetic and Epigenetic Analyses in Cancer” |
“Improving the Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecological Cancer” |
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“Antibody-Mediated Therapy and Other Emerging Therapies in Cancer Treatment” |
“Advances in Implementation Science and Knowledge Mobilization for Cancer Control” |
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3 February 2026
Cells | Issue Cover Articles in the First Half of 2025
The articles below have been selected as the Cover Articles for Issues 1–12 of Volume 14 by the Editorial Office of Cells (ISSN: 2073-4409). These articles come from multiple fields within the scope of cell biology, and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.
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2 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #31 - MDPI 30 Years, 500 Journals, UK Summit, Z-Forum Conference, APE
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI at 30: Three Decades of Open Science, Built Together
As we begin 2026, we approach a meaningful milestone in MDPI’s history: 30 years of advancing Open Science.
What began in 1996 as a small, researcher-driven initiative has grown into a global open-access publisher, supporting hundreds of journals, millions of researchers, and a shared belief that scientific knowledge should be openly available to all. Over these three decades, Open Access has moved from the margins to the mainstream, and MDPI has been proud to help shape that transformation.
To mark this anniversary year, we are pleased to share our MDPI 30th Anniversary logo.
The Anniversary logo is intentionally simple, confident, and enduring, designed to work across cultures, disciplines, and digital environments. It reflects both continuity and progress, honouring MDPI’s established identity while representing the company we are today. The green accent symbolizes our connection to the research communities we serve and the collaborative nature of Open Science itself.
Alongside the visual identity, we are also introducing our 30th Anniversary tagline:
30 Years of Open Science, Built Together.
This phrase captures what has always defined MDPI. Open Science is not the work of a single organization: it is a collective effort shaped by researchers, editors, reviewers, institutions, and the many teams who support the publishing process every day. MDPI’s role has been to provide the infrastructure and commitment that allow this collaboration to thrive.
Throughout 2026, we will mark this anniversary through regional events, global conversations, and editorial initiatives that reflect on MDPI’s evolution, its impact across disciplines, and the communities that make this work possible.
“Open Science is a collective effort”
Whether you have been part of MDPI’s journey for decades or are engaging with us for the first time this year, this milestone belongs to all of us. The past 30 years have shown what is possible when openness, trust, and collaboration are placed at the centre of scholarly communication.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: continuing to strengthen quality, integrity, and partnership – so that Open Science can keep moving forward, together.
Impactful Research
A Shared Milestone: MDPI’s Journal Portfolio Reaches 500 Titles
MDPI has reached an important milestone: our journal portfolio grew to more than 500 academic journals last year, spanning the fields of chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, environmental sciences, the social sciences, and beyond.
The number itself is significant, but what matters more is what supports it: hundreds of scholarly communities that have chosen to collaborate, grow, and publish with MDPI.
From our beginnings nearly 30 years ago with a single Open Access journal (Molecules), MDPI has been guided by a simple aim: advancing Open Science. Reaching 500 journals is not an endpoint. It reflects the diversity of disciplines, ideas, and research cultures that now form part of our shared ecosystem.
Growth with Purpose
Every journal exists because a specific community believes there is a need for focus, visibility, and dialogue in a particular field. As our portfolio has expanded, so has our responsibility to ensure that scale is matched with strong editorial standards, robust research integrity practices, and meaningful academic leadership.
This milestone comes as we enter MDPI’s 30th anniversary year, a fitting moment to reflect on what scale in scholarly publishing truly requires: not only reach, but also dedicated long-term stewardship.
New Journals, New Communities
In December 2025 alone, MDPI welcomed eight newly launched journals and three journal transfers (details below), all of which published their inaugural issues by year-end.
Each of these journals is shaped by its Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members, who define its scope, standards, and direction. We are grateful for the time, expertise, and commitment they bring to building these new communities.
Welcoming Transferred and Acquired Journals
We were pleased to publish the first MDPI issues of three recently transferred or acquired journals:
- Cardiovascular Medicine – advancing research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- Germs – addressing infectious diseases through clinical, public health, and translational perspectives
- Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine (RJPM) – supporting population health, early detection, and preventive care in collaboration with the Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine
Each of these journals brings an established identity and legacy. Our role is to support their continued development with the same editorial rigor, transparency, and Open Access principles that guide our broader portfolio.
A Collective Achievement
Reaching more than 500 journals is not the achievement of any single team or individual. It is the result of collaboration across the entire scholarly ecosystem. As such, I would like to thank our authors, reviewers, academic editors, and Editorial Board Members, as well as our colleagues across MDPI, who support these communities every day.
As we look ahead, we will continue to expand the breadth and depth of our publishing activities while remaining attentive to the evolving expectations of Open Science, research integrity, and responsible growth.
This milestone is a reminder that Open Access publishing is not only about making research available. It is about building platforms where knowledge can be shared, challenged, improved, and trusted, at scale, and with care.
Inside Research
MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester (21–22 January)
On 21–22 January, we had the pleasure of hosting the MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester. Over two days, we welcomed more than 20 Editors-in-Chief (EiC), Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC), and Associate Editors for an open, in-depth conversations about how MDPI supports Open Science, editorial independence, and research standards across our journals.
What stood out most was not just the quality of the discussions, but the openness, curiosity, and mutual respect that shaped every session.
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What We Covered
The programme was designed to give insight into how MDPI works behind the scenes and how different teams collaborate to support our journals and editors. Topics included:
- MDPI overview and the evolving Open Access market
- MDPI–UK collaboration and local engagement
- Editorial and peer-review processes
- Research integrity and publication ethics
- Institutional partnerships
- Indexing, journal development, and academic community engagement
Sessions were led by MDPI colleagues across editorial, research integrity, indexing, partnerships, and UK operations, showing how cross-functional our work truly is.
What We Heard
The feedback from editors was both encouraging and grounding:
- 92% rated the Summit Excellent (8% Good)
- 100% said their understanding of MDPI’s values, editorial processes, and local collaborations had significantly improved
- 69% attended primarily to stay informed about academic publishing and research integrity
- 85% felt fully heard and engaged
A few comments that stayed with me:
- “Today’s event truly gave me the opportunity to see the heart of MDPI UK.”
- “The summit was very informative – I really enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes operations.”
- “Keep being open to discussions and making editors feel part of the MDPI family.”
These reflections remind us that transparency, listening, and dialogue are not nice-to-haves: they are foundational to trust.
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Looking Ahead
The UK Summit is one of more than 10 MDPI Summits we are organizing this year across North America, Europe, and APAC. Each one is an investment in relationships, shared understanding, and improvement.
Thank you to the MDPI UK team and supporting colleagues across departments who made this event possible. This was a positive step in strengthening our editorial engagement and kicking off a year of MDPI Summits.
Coming Together for Science
Recapping the Z-Forum 2026 Conference on Sustainability and Innovation (15–16 January 2026)
In January, MDPI supported and participated in the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation, held across Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the city of Baden. With 96 participants and more than 30 speakers and panellists, the forum brought together leaders from government, academia, industry, and innovation ecosystems to explore how sustainability, Open Science, and innovation intersect in practice.
Why this mattered for MDPI
As a Swiss-based publisher with global reach, our investment in Z-Forum reflects a strategic intent: to anchor MDPI more deeply within Swiss research networks while contributing to national and international conversations on sustainability and innovation.
This was not only about visibility; it was also about relationship-building and long-term engagement with institutions shaping research policy and practice in Switzerland.
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High-level participation and credibility
The forum was supported and sponsored by several key Swiss institutions, including:
- The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) – Switzerland’s central research funding body
- ETH Zurich
- The University of Zurich
- The University of Basel
- Swiss Innovation Park Central
The sponsorship of SNSF lent the forum strong institutional credibility and signalled the relevance of the themes discussed, especially around sustainability, innovation frameworks, and responsible research practices.
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Beyond the Room: Extending the Conversation
While attendance was intentionally focused to encourage dialogue, the forum’s reach extended well beyond the venue. Multiple LinkedIn posts before and during the event (e.g., Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, and more) built on the discussions and helped position MDPI as an active and credible contributor within Switzerland’s research and innovation landscape.
A Broader Strategic Signal
Z-Forum is part of a wider effort to:
- Build on MDPI’s Swiss institutional relationships
- Reinforce our leadership in Open Science and sustainability
- Engage proactively with funders, universities, and innovation bodies
- Ensure MDPI remains a visible and constructive partner in the ecosystems where research policy and practice are shaped
Thank you to our Conference team and everyone involved in supporting this event, both behind the scenes and on the ground. These moments of engagement may be small in scale, but they are foundational in impact.
Closing Thoughts
Reflections from the Academic Publishing in Europe Conference
During 13-14 January, I attended the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) Conference in Berlin, a long-standing forum for discussing scholarly publishing and the deeper principles that support it.
MDPI was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 20th Anniversary of the APE conference, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting the scholarly community to engage in critical industry discussions.
This year’s program covered a range of topics, from AI and research integrity to policy, infrastructure, and trust, but one theme stood out clearly for me: academic freedom, and what it means to protect the conditions under which knowledge can be produced, evaluated, and shared responsibly.
Before turning to that, I would like to highlight the opening keynote by Carolin Sutton (CEO, STM), which helped set the tone for the conference.
An Independent Publishing Industry: The Case for Checks and Balances
In her opening remarks, Carolin focused on the importance of continually evolving systems of checks and balances, both operationally and at the marketplace level, to prevent any single actor from dominating knowledge production. Her framing emphasized shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and research communities, rather than placing the burden on any one group.
As part of this, she revisited the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, and his CUDOS norms of scientific ethos, first articulated in his 1942 work, The Normative Structure of Science.
Merton outlined four ideals that support healthy scientific systems:
- Communalism – knowledge as a public good
- Universalism – evaluation based on merit, not status or identity
- Disinterestedness – orientation toward truth over personal or financial gain
- Organized Skepticism – systematic, critical scrutiny of claims
While these are ideals, and not guarantees that are perfectly lived up to, they remain powerful reference points today for research systems and organizations as they aim to grow and scale.
It was interesting to see how closely these norms align with foundational principles of Open Access. For example, making research openly available supports communalism. Transparent peer review and editorial processes reinforce universalism and organized skepticism. Strong ethics frameworks and governance help counter conflicts of interest and support disinterestedness.
“Merton’s ideals remain powerful reference points today”
Safeguarding Research: Academic Freedom
Several of the conference sessions touched on the pressures faced by researchers, editors, and institutions: geopolitical tensions, online harassment, misinformation, reputational risk, shrinking resources, and politicized narratives around science.
“Integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow.”
A particularly timely presentation came from Ilyas Saliba, who talked about academic freedom. His remarks resonated strongly and underlined the fact that safety in academia is not only physical or digital, but also intellectual.
Academic freedom means safeguarding the ability to ask difficult questions, challenge consensus, publish negative or unexpected results, and participate in scholarly debate without fear of undue personal, political, or commercial consequences. These discussions were a reminder that publishers play an important role in supporting the integrity, accessibility, and credibility of scholarly knowledge, particularly as researchers and institutions face mounting external pressures.
Looking Ahead
The discussions at APE reminded me that integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow, expectations evolve, and pressures increase. This applies equally to research integrity, academic freedom, and the broader trust placed in scholarly communication.
I left APE encouraged by the openness of the dialogue and the willingness across publishers, institutions, and communities to engage with difficult questions rather than avoid them. Forums like this play a pivotal role in helping our industry pause, reflect, and recalibrate.
As MDPI continues to grow and as we enter our 30th anniversary, these conversations remind me of the core purpose of science: advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
23 January 2026
Cells | Highly Cited Papers and Hot Topic Special Issues on Exosomes in 2024
