Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Repair and Regeneration

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of Cells focusing on "Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Repair and Regeneration". The adult mammalian heart has a limited capacity for self-renewal, and injury often leads to irreversible fibrotic scarring and heart failure. Understanding the intrinsic molecular pathways that govern cardiomyocyte proliferation, immune cell signaling, and extracellular matrix remodeling is, therefore, a fundamental and highly significant area of research in cardiovascular science.

This Special Issue aims to collate high-quality research and review articles that dissect the intricate signaling networks and cellular crosstalk underlying the heart's response to injury. By focusing on molecular drivers—from epigenetic regulators to key paracrine and intracellular pathways—this collection will provide a deeper understanding of the barriers to and potential for cardiac regeneration, aligning perfectly with the journal's scope of cell biology and molecular mechanisms in human health and disease.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Therapeutic strategies for cardiomyocyte cell cycle activation and proliferation;
• Immune regulation and the role of immune cells in cardiac repair and regeneration;
• Stem cell-based therapies and the functional roles of extracellular vesicles;
• Key signaling pathways governing cardiac injury, repair, and regeneration;
• Epigenetic, transcriptional, and metabolic control mechanisms;
• Mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis and its crosstalk with regenerative processes;
• Mitochondrial dynamics, metabolic reprogramming, and oxidative stress responses;
• Soluble mediators (e.g., cytokines and growth factors) and intercellular communication networks;
• Development and optimization of experimental models (e.g., animal models, organoids, and bioengineered platforms);
• Discovery and validation of novel biomarkers for repair and regenerative outcomes.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells 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 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.