Molecular Insights into the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 2nd Edition
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: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 5
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cardiovascular disease; diabetes; nutrition; early-stage lung cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
An increasing body of epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence supports the notion that the risk of developing chronic, noncommunicable diseases in adulthood is significantly influenced not only by molecular and genetic factors but also by environmental exposures and lifestyle experiences during early life.
Fetal development and infancy are critical windows characterized by rapid organ growth and functional maturation. It is now well recognized that several pathophysiological conditions—including diabetes and cardiovascular disease—that occur in adolescence and adulthood may have their origins during prenatal or postnatal development. While maternal nutrition remains the most widely examined factor affecting fetal development, recent research has also highlighted the important role of paternal stressors in shaping molecular pathways that influence offspring health.
This Special Issue brings together global experts in developmental and molecular programming to present current perspectives and recent advances in understanding the long-term consequences of altered gene expression and molecular modifications of organ systems during critical developmental stages. Of particular interests are studies exploring how nutritional exposures during fetal development can result in transgenerational epigenetic changes, thereby increasing disease susceptibility later in life.
We also welcome contributions addressing the potential for improved maternal nutrition—before and during pregnancy—as a proactive and powerful strategy for the primary prevention of chronic disease in later life. By emphasizing the molecular underpinnings of normal fetal growth and development, this Special Issue aims to illuminate promising directions for early-life interventions with long-term health benefits.
We look forward to your valuable contributions to this important and evolving field.
Dr. Paramjit S. Tappia
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
- fetal development
- maternal nutrition
- molecular programming
- epigenetic modifications
- environmental exposures
- genetic factors
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