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Skin Cancer: Molecular Drivers, Biomarkers, Non-Invasive Diagnostics and Therapeutic Strategies

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 15

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Section of Dermatology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Interests: dermato-oncology; mohs surgery; dermoscopy; confocal microscopy; microRNA
1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
2. Oncologic Dermatology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Interests: melanoma; NMSC; skin cancer; medical oncology; clinical trials; surgery; medical treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Dermatology Unit, INRCA/IRCCS, 60129 Ancona, Italy
Interests: dermato-oncology; dermoscopy; confocal microscopy; digital pathology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Skin cancer represents the most common malignancy worldwide and encompasses a broad spectrum of entities, including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). Despite recent advances in prevention and treatment, incidence continues to rise, highlighting the urgent need to better understand molecular mechanisms, identify reliable biomarkers, and implement precision strategies for early detection and therapy monitoring.

This Special Issue aims to provide an integrative overview of recent advances in molecular oncology, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic innovation in skin cancer. Topics include oncogenic pathways, tumor–microenvironment interactions, genomic and epigenomic regulation (including microRNAs), and translational therapeutic strategies such as targeted agents and immunotherapies. Emphasis will also be placed on resistance mechanisms, preclinical and clinical models, and the development of non-invasive diagnostic approaches—such as dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT), and total-body photography—applied to disease monitoring.

By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between molecular researchers and clinical dermatologists, this Special Issue seeks to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into improved prognostic and therapeutic outcomes for patients with skin cancer.

Scope (indicative):

  • Oncogenic pathways and tumor microenvironment across melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers;
  • Genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics;
  • Biomarkers for prognosis and treatment response;
  • Translational therapeutics: targeted agents, immunotherapies, combinations, and resistance mechanisms;
  • Preclinical models and clinically oriented translational studies;
  • Non-invasive diagnostic techniques (dermoscopy, RCM, LC-OCT, total body photography) for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Dr. Federico Venturi
Dr. Emi Dika
Dr. Giulia Veronesi
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. 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

  • melanoma
  • skin cancers
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapy
  • liquid biopsy
  • non-invasive diagnostics techniques
  • miRNA
  • genomic

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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