Sickle Cell Disease: Current Advances on Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 28

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: human genetics; rare disease pathophysiology; genetic modifiers; genetic communication

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: human genetics; hemoglobinopathies; sickle cell disease; genetic modifiers; iron metabolism; next-generation sequencing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common hemoglobin disorders worldwide. Despite resulting from a point mutation in the beta-globin gene, it is a highly complex and multifactorial disease. Recent gene editing therapies that increase the production of fetal hemoglobin have shown promising results. However, they are still not accessible to all, especially in resource-scarce regions. Hence, research on molecular mechanisms underlying SCD pathophysiology remains crucial to identify further therapeutic targets.

The increasing awareness of the role of genetic modifiers, with an impact on phenotype severity, may also provide further insights and would be in line with a precision medicine approach that could increase positive outcomes and patients’ quality of life.

For this Special Issue, we invite researchers to contribute their valuable insights and novel research, whether as fundamental or applied original research or reviews, on the latest insights into molecular mechanisms, novel genetic biomarkers, and innovative and targeted therapeutic strategies for SCD. We aim to advance our knowledge of pathophysiology and treatment of SCD, ultimately to provide alternatives for patients and improve their outcomes.

Dr. Marisa Silva
Dr. Paula Faustino
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 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.

Keywords

  • sickle cell disease
  • genetic modifiers
  • gene editing
  • SCD pathophysiology
  • SCD biomarkers
  • SCD treatment
  • SCD management

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.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop