Cell Proliferation and Differentiation in Cancer
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 January 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Interests: oxysterol; cell proliferation; cell death; lipid oxidation; antioxidants; cancer; atherosclerosis; stem cell biology; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite the scientific community to submit manuscripts to this Special Issue dedicated to “Cell Proliferation and Differentiation in Cancer”. Proliferation and differentiation are fundamental events involved in a large number of essential biological processes, from embryonic and developmental biology, tissue homeostasis and regeneration, and response to injury, to biotechnology and translational medicine. Alterations in these processes are directly associated with several pathological conditions, including cancer.
Cell proliferation involves cell growth plus division through the standard G1-S-G2-M cycle. It is regulated tightly in normal tissues. Among several common hallmarks, cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell division, often due to mutations in genes that regulate the cell cycle. For instance, oncogenes (e.g., RAS, MYC) become overactive, while tumor suppressors (like p53, Rb) lose their ability to slow division or induce cell death, resulting in unchecked proliferation. Alterations in cell differentiation, as well as dedifferentiation, are also common features in cancer. Cellular differentiation is the specialization process by which stem-like or precursor cells become mature, functionally specific cell types. It involves changes in gene expression and cell morphology, and usually does not alter the DNA sequence. In cancer, cells frequently undergo dedifferentiation, reverting to a more primitive or stem-like state. This is associated with loss of normal function, increased plasticity, and greater proliferative and invasive capability. Dysregulated differentiation has been argued to be a fundamental, distinct hallmark of cancer, underlying grading systems and serving as a target for differentiation therapies.
Understanding the molecular, epigenetic, metabolic, and microenvironmental mechanisms, among others, that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation remains a central challenge in cancer investigation. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to bring together excellent contributions that expand our understanding of the mechanisms governing cell proliferation as well as differentiation and their implications for cancer development and treatment.
We cordially invite you to submit original research as regular articles or short communications, and systematic or narrative review articles.
Among the several topics to be considered, some that can be addressed are the following:
- Molecular and epigenetic mechanisms.
- Role of transcription factors and intercellular signaling.
- Proliferation markers (such as Ki‑67 and PCNA).
- Role of oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and microRNAs.
- Influence of the microenvironment and extracellular matrix.
- Cellular reprogramming and transdifferentiation.
- In vitro models (3D models, organoids, and tissue bioengineering) for studying proliferation and differentiation in cancer.
- Clinical relevance: influence in tumor grade, prognosis, and therapy decisions.
- Therapeutic applications of differentiated cells in cancer
Dr. Sérgio Paulo Bydlowski
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 signaling
- cell transduction
- transcriptional and post-transcriptional pathways
- growth factors
- second messengers
- cell proliferation
- cell differentiation
- cell metabolism
- cell death
- cell invasion
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