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Stem Cells in Health and Disease: 3rd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1613

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
2. Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
Interests: stem cells; leukemia; lymphoma; sarcoma; gene therapy; proteomics; imaging flow cytometry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, our knowledge about the dual role of stem cells in health and disease has increased significantly. However, the biological and molecular mechanisms of this double function are yet to be fully understood.

New advancements in stem-cell research open a new door for patients suffering from diseases not yet successfully treated. Stem-cell-based therapy, including embryonic stem cells, human pluripotent stem cells, multipotent mesenchymal stem cells, and neural stem cells, has recently emerged as a key player in regenerative medicine because of the inherent ability of these stem cells to self-renew and the potential to differentiate into other cell types. Moreover, recent advances in cell-reprogramming and genome-editing technologies have provided additional tools for developing more effective and tailored stem-cell-based therapies.

This Special Issue aims to highlight stem-cell biology in both physiological and pathological conditions, thus expanding the current knowledge and boosting innovative diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications.

Original and review articles, including basic studies, are all welcome for consideration. Research topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms governing stem-cell physiology, i.e., self-renewal signaling pathways, differentiation, and metabolic plasticity;
  • Microenvironmental regulators of stem-cell plasticity and mutual interconversion between healthy and non-healthy stem cells;
  • Cancer stem cell (CSC) involvement in tumor progression and molecular drivers and mechanisms underlying CSC therapy resistance;
  • Therapeutic application of stem cells in experimental settings.

Dr. Maja Ludvigsen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • stem cell regulation
  • differentiation
  • pluripotency
  • reprogramming
  • stem cell therapy
  • cancer stem cell/tumor-initiating cell
  • therapy resistance
  • regenerative medicine
  • metabolic plasticity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

21 pages, 1033 KiB  
Review
The Use of Neurons Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells to Study Nerve–Cancer Cell Interactions
by Adriana Jiménez, Adolfo López-Ornelas, Neptali Gutiérrez-de la Cruz, Jonathan Puente-Rivera, Rodolfo David Mayen-Quinto, Anahí Sánchez-Monciváis, Iván Ignacio-Mejía, Exsal M. Albores-Méndez, Marco Antonio Vargas-Hernández and Enrique Estudillo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3057; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073057 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Tumor innervation is a complex interaction between nerves and cancer cells that consists of axons invading tumors, and its complexity remains largely unknown in humans. Although some retrospective studies have provided important insights into the relationship between nerves and tumors, further knowledge is [...] Read more.
Tumor innervation is a complex interaction between nerves and cancer cells that consists of axons invading tumors, and its complexity remains largely unknown in humans. Although some retrospective studies have provided important insights into the relationship between nerves and tumors, further knowledge is required about this biological process. Animal experiments have elucidated several molecular and cellular mechanisms of tumor innervation; however, no experimental models currently exist to study interactions between human cancer and nerve cells. Human pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into neurons for research purposes; however, the use of these neurons to study interactions with cancer cells remains largely unexplored. Hence, here we analyze the potential of human pluripotent stem cells to study the interaction of cancer cells and neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells to unravel the poorly understood mechanisms of human tumor innervation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stem Cells in Health and Disease: 3rd Edition)
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14 pages, 1766 KiB  
Review
Influence of Super-Low-Intensity Microwave Radiation on Mesenchymal Stem Cells
by Mikhail Yu. Artamonov, Felix A. Pyatakovich and Inessa A. Minenko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(4), 1705; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041705 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 725
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising tool for regenerative medicine due to their multipotency and immunomodulatory properties. According to recent research, exposing MSCs to super-low-intensity microwave radiation can have a significant impact on how they behave and operate. This review [...] Read more.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising tool for regenerative medicine due to their multipotency and immunomodulatory properties. According to recent research, exposing MSCs to super-low-intensity microwave radiation can have a significant impact on how they behave and operate. This review provides an overview of the most recent studies on the effects of microwave radiation on MSCs with power densities that are much below thermal values. Studies repeatedly show that non-thermal mechanisms affecting calcium signaling, membrane transport, mitochondrial activity, along ion channel activation may increase MSC proliferation, differentiation along mesodermal lineages, paracrine factor secretion, and immunomodulatory capabilities during brief, regulated microwave exposures. These bioeffects greatly enhance MSC regeneration capability in preclinical models of myocardial infarction, osteoarthritis, brain damage, and other diseases. Additional study to understand microwave treatment settings, biological processes, and safety assessments will aid in the translation of this unique, non-invasive strategy of activating MSCs with microwave radiation to improve cell engraftment, survival, and tissue healing results. Microwave-enhanced MSC treatment, if shown safe and successful, might have broad relevance as a novel cell-based approach for a variety of regenerative medicine applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stem Cells in Health and Disease: 3rd Edition)
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