Cancer and Vessels: Insights from the Cellular and Molecular Levels
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Pathology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editors
Interests: relationship between cancer cells and blood vessels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which focuses on the dynamic and critical interactions between cancer and blood vessels at the cellular and molecular levels. Tumor vasculature is not merely a passive conduit but plays an active role in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, as was demonstrated by Folkman. However, it has since been discovered that angiogenesis is not the entire story; non-angiogenic tumors (vascular co-option) and vascular mimicry can occur as well. A deep understanding of the molecular dialogues between tumor cells and vascular cells, including endothelial cells and pericytes, is fundamental for unraveling the complexities of the tumor microenvironment and developing novel therapeutic strategies both in classic angiogenesis and in the two mentioned modalities that can occur.
This Special Issue aims to collate high-quality research that elucidates the intricate cellular and molecular mechanisms governing cancer–vessel interactions. By highlighting these fundamental biological processes, this Special Issue aligns with the journal's scope of advancing knowledge in cell biology and molecular medicine, providing a platform for discoveries that could reshape our conceptual and mechanistic understanding of tumor biology and, in this case, also looking at the clinic–pathological correlations with the molecular findings.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: molecular signaling pathways in tumor angiogenesis and in vessel co-option; endothelial cell and pericyte biology in tumors; vascular mimicry; the role of exosomes and other vesicles in intercellular communication; metabolic crosstalk; lymphangiogenesis; and the dynamics of the vascular niche in metastasis and therapy resistance.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Francesco Pezzella
Prof. Dr. Tom Donnem
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 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. 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
- angiogenesis
- vessel co-option
- tumor microenvironment
- tumor blood vessels
- tumor vasculature
- metastasis
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