Molecular Mechanisms Driving Liver Disease: From Cellular Stress to Therapeutic Targets
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 February 2026 | Viewed by 593
Special Issue Editor
Interests: hepatology; inflammatory bowel disease; gastroenterology; MASLD; hepatocellular carcinoma
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Liver diseases represent a growing global health burden, ranging from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcoholic liver disease to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite significant advances, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie these conditions remains incomplete. Recent discoveries in hepatocellular stress responses, immune interactions, lipid metabolism, and gene regulation are redefining our view of liver disease pathogenesis and opening new therapeutic avenues.
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which focuses on unraveling the molecular and cellular basis of liver diseases. By highlighting critical pathways and molecular interactions, we aim to build a platform for knowledge exchange between basic researchers and clinical scientists, fostering translational progress.
This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality research papers and review articles addressing the molecular underpinnings of liver diseases. The scope aligns closely with the journal’s mission to support research that advances our understanding of disease mechanisms and therapeutic development. Contributions will offer mechanistic insights into liver pathology and suggest new strategies for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response;
- Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming;
- Activation of hepatic stellate cells and fibrogenic signaling;
- Crosstalk between hepatocytes and immune cells;
- Non-coding RNAs in liver disease (miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs);
- Epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations in liver fibrosis and cancer;
- Molecular drivers of MASLD and MASH progression;
- Gut–liver axis and the influence of microbial metabolites;
- Molecular pathways of Hepatocellular Carcinoma development and progression;
- Single-cell omics and spatial transcriptomics in liver pathology;
- Target discovery and drug development for liver diseases.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Konstantinos Arvanitakis
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.
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Keywords
- liver disease
- molecular mechanisms
- hepatocellular stress
- fibrosis
- non-coding RNAs
- metabolism
- MASLD
- liver fibrosis
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- therapeutics
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