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25th Anniversary of IJMS: Updates and Advances in Molecular Biology

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: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1450

Special Issue Editors


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Pharmazentrum Frankfurt, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Bd. 74, 4th Fl, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Interests: nerve injury and neuropathic pain; neuroinflammation; glioblastoma; traumatic brain injury; redox signaling; endocannabinoids; lipidome and metabolome; progranulin; autophagy; neuropsychiatric diseases
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Guest Editor
Department of Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Messina, 98123 Messina, Italy
Interests: autophagy; molecular biology; pathology; epidermal growth factor receptors family; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Environmental, Occupational & Ageing Physiology Laboratory, Haute Ecole Bruxelles-Brabant (HE2B), Brussels, Belgium
Interests: integrative physiology; oxygen; challenging environments; hyperbaric; hypobaric; hyperoxia; hypoxia; normobaric oxygen paradox
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last two decades have marked a revolutionary period in molecular biology, with foundational discoveries rapidly translating into clinical applications that are fundamentally reshaping our approach to complex human diseases. This Special Issue aims to bring together a collection of high-impact research and review articles that highlight the leading edge of molecular biology as it applies to oncology, (auto)immune diseases, and infectious diseases. We invite the submission of manuscripts that detail the profound impact of molecular techniques on personalized oncology. This includes research on the expanding applications of next-generation sequencing (NGS), including single-cell "omics" and the clinical utility of liquid biopsies for early cancer detection, prognostic stratification, and the real-time monitoring of therapeutic resistance. Furthermore, we encourage contributions that explore the frontier of molecular therapeutics, such as the application of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, RNAi-based strategies, and other innovations in cellular engineering aimed at creating curative cancer treatments.

In parallel, our understanding of immune disorders is being redefined through molecular investigation. We are seeking contributions that highlight the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and other omics technologies in identifying genetic susceptibilities and disease-specific pathways. Of particular interest is research focused on the discovery and validation of novel molecular biomarkers for more precise diagnostics and the development of targeted therapies. This includes work on the role of immunogenetics, such as HLA genotyping, in predicting disease risk and tailoring patient treatment. The field of infectious diseases has also been fundamentally altered by molecular diagnostics, which have become a cornerstone of modern epidemiology. This Special Issue will welcome papers on the development of advanced diagnostic platforms, from refined PCR-based methods to the emergence of highly specific CRISPR-based tools for pathogen detection. We also solicit research leveraging NGS for pathogen or microbiome genomics, which is critical for robust epidemiological surveillance, tracking antimicrobial resistance, and achieving a deeper understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level. By bringing these interconnected fields together, this Special Issue will serve as an essential resource for clinicians and researchers, providing a comprehensive overview of the current and future state of molecularly informed medicine.

Prof. Dr. Irmgard Tegeder
Dr. Antonio Ieni
Prof. Dr. Costantino Balestra
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • next-generation sequencing (NGS)
  • CRISPR-Cas9
  • liquid biopsy
  • molecular diagnostics
  • personalized medicine
  • genome-wide association studies (GWAS)

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1526 KB  
Article
Searching for Innovative Functional Foods: Correlation Between Chemopreventive Potential and Bioactive Compounds Accumulation in Brassica Sprouts Grown Under Altered Gravity Conditions
by Marta Markiewicz, Agnieszka Galanty, Paweł Zagrodzki, Agata Kołodziejczyk and Paweł Paśko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(23), 11287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311287 - 22 Nov 2025
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Abstract
The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of space-like environment on the chemopreventive activity of Brassica sprouts against thyroid cancer cells in vitro. For this purpose the sprouts of broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts were cultivated in darkness [...] Read more.
The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of space-like environment on the chemopreventive activity of Brassica sprouts against thyroid cancer cells in vitro. For this purpose the sprouts of broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts were cultivated in darkness and in microgravity for 5–7 days. Then, the sprouts’ extracts were examined for cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity against thyroid cancer and normal cells. The tested microgravity environment stimulated the cytotoxic activity of kohlrabi sprouts, causing approximately 50% reduction in thyroid cancer cells’ viability, while at the same time increasing the viability of normal thyroid cells. Broccoli sprouts showed the strongest antiproliferative activity against normal thyroid cells, with the best effect visible for darkness conditions, which may contribute to the reduction of thyroid hyperplasia. Microgravity and darkness significantly enhanced the antiproliferative activity of kale, especially in 7-day-old sprouts (inhibition approximately 90%). The tested conditions also increased the antiproliferative activity of kohlrabi sprouts, but in the case of Brussels sprouts the effect was unfavorable. The study showed that microgravity and darkness conditions may have significant influence on the chemopreventive role of Brassica sprouts against thyroid cancer cells in vitro, especially in the case of broccoli and kohlrabi sprouts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 25th Anniversary of IJMS: Updates and Advances in Molecular Biology)
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13 pages, 1502 KB  
Article
Transcription Factor EB (TFEB) Expression and Localization in the Third-Trimester Placenta
by Cinzia Giacometti, Alessandro Ambrosi, Serena Cavaliere, Anna Caliò, Daniele Mautone and Guido Martignoni
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10294; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110294 - 22 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is expressed at high levels in the trophoblast cells of the placenta, where it plays a critical role in regulating normal vascularization. Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe complication of pregnancy with a high incidence of maternal and fetal morbidity [...] Read more.
Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is expressed at high levels in the trophoblast cells of the placenta, where it plays a critical role in regulating normal vascularization. Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe complication of pregnancy with a high incidence of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Gestational diabetes (GD) is a metabolic disease that can affect placental villous maturation and villous vascularity. We analyzed the expression of three different antibodies: TFEB from Invitrogen (TFEB-INV), which detects endogenous levels of TFEB only when phosphorylated at Ser211; TFEB from Bethyl Labs (TFEB-B), which recognizes and binds E-box sequences; and TFEB from Santa Cruz (C-6) (TFEB-SC), which is specifically used for epitope mapping between 440 and 470. We evaluated the presence/absence of TFEB in six placental districts: syncytiotrophoblast (STB), cytotrophoblast (CTB), extravillous trophoblast (EVT), syncytial knots, stem villi vessels, and villous capillaries. TFEB-B was significantly expressed in the stem villi vessels, STB, and villi vessels of GD cases. The lack of TFEB expression in late-onset PE appears to corroborate the role of TFEB in vascular remodeling during placental development. The positive results in STB and vessels in GD cases, regardless of the histological diagnosis, may suggest that the expression of TFEB mitigates hypoxic injury via the Akt/mTOR pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 25th Anniversary of IJMS: Updates and Advances in Molecular Biology)
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