Metastasis: Mechanisms, Models, and Therapeutic Advances

Dear Colleagues,

Metastasis represents one of the greatest challenges in cancer treatment, accounting for over 90% of cancer-related deaths. With your contribution to this Special Issue, titled “Metastasis: Mechanisms, Models, and Therapeutic Advances”, we seek to provide a comprehensive overview of recent innovations in understanding the metastatic process. The Special Issue will highlight key molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis, innovative models that deepen our knowledge, and novel therapeutic strategies designed to combat this critical aspect of cancer progression.

We invite contributions that encompass the various signaling pathways and molecular changes that allow cancer cells to escape from the primary tumor, survive in circulation or passively disseminate, and colonize distant organs. Mechanistic insights into epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune evasion, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment are of particular interest. Additionally, this Special Issue will explore innovative experimental models of metastasis, from in vitro organoid systems to in vivo models, and their applications in preclinical metastasis research.

Therapeutic innovation is also a key focus, and we encourage submissions on novel strategies aimed at preventing or halting metastasis. These include targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and novel combination approaches that address drug resistance, tumor dormancy, and the metastatic niche.

This Special Issue is led by Dr. Maree Bilandzic with the assistance of our Topical Advisory Panel Members and the GE’s assistant editor Dr. Amy Wilson (Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia). We welcome submissions in the following areas:

• Mechanistic studies on the molecular drivers of metastasis;
• Novel experimental models of metastasis, including patient-derived models;
• Targeted therapies aimed at metastasis prevention or treatment;
• The role of the tumor microenvironment in metastatic progression;
• Biomarkers for early detection of metastatic potential;
• Immune-based strategies to combat metastasis;
• Clinical translation of novel therapies targeting metastatic disease.

We invite you to contribute in the form of an article or a review.

Dr. Maree Bilandzic
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-anonymized 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.