Beyond Drivers and Suppressors: Investigating Upstream Regulators of Cell Death
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 16
Special Issue Editor
Interests: carcinogenesis; functional genomics; high-throughput sequencing; in silico; transcription factors
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Regulated cell death (RCD) encompasses both well-characterized modalities (e.g., apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis) and emerging forms such as ferroptosis, oxeiptosis, and alkaliptosis. This Special Issue invites studies elucidating the upstream control layers that prime, initiate, or tune these death programs. We welcome research mapping receptor–ligand and kinase circuits, metabolic and redox checkpoints, ion and pH homeostasis, non-coding RNAs, and transcriptional or epigenetic programs, as well as context dependence (cell type, microenvironment, infection) and cross-talk among RCD pathways. Submissions centered on classical cell-death modalities are fully in scope when they probe higher-order regulation or reveal new interfaces between pathways.
The present Special Issue invites research expanding what is known about RCD axes, but, more importantly, it prioritizes studies that uncover previously unrecognized relationships. Because upstream regulation can shape cell death outcomes independently of pathway components (e.g., via epigenetic reprogramming, altered transcription factor networks, or metabolic rewiring), such studies are especially valued. We welcome original contributions in the form of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo investigations. Exploratory and bioinformatics-based analyses are encouraged when they propose conceptually novel relationships or testable hypotheses, as well as utilize rigorous scoring frameworks or pathway-activity metrics. Papers that fall outside these themes will also be evaluated.
This Special Issue is supervised by Dr. Damian Kołat and assisted by Dr. Elżbieta Płuciennik, elzbieta.pluciennik@umed.lodz.pl (Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland) and Dr. Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat, zaneta.kaluzinska@umed.lodz.pl (Department of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, 90-136 Lodz, Poland).
Dr. Damian Kołat
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 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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- cell death
- driver genes
- suppressor genes
- upstream regulators
- gene expression
- in silicon
- in vitro
- in vivo
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.
