Molecular Aspects of Cancer Stem Cell Biology and Their Therapeutic Implications
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
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an aggressive subpopulation of cancer cells, characterized by the unique ability to self-renew and their great plasticity, which allows them to differentiate into various cell types as well as dedifferentiate. This subpopulation also has high metastatic potential and is characterized by high expression levels of efflux pumps and therapy resistance. Standard treatments often fail to eliminate cancer stem cells, leading to significant interest in developing therapies that specifically target this subpopulation.
In this Special Issue entitled ‘Molecular Aspects of Cancer Stem Cell Biology and Their Therapeutic Implications’, we encourage the submission of original research papers and reviews regarding the novel insights into CSC biology and recent advances in their therapy. We will focus on the molecular basis of the CSCs, with emphasis on key signaling pathways, stemness-related transcription factors, stemness markers, and mechanisms of therapy resistance.
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cancer stem cell biology and plasticity.
- Crosstalk between cancer stem cells and tumor microenvironment.
- Therapy resistance
- Novel therapies targeting cancer stem cells.
Dr. Tanja Matijevic Glavan
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
- cancer stem cells
- chemotherapy
- radiotherapy
- transcription factors
- stemness properties
- chemoresistance
- radioresistance
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