Personalized Medicine in Otorhinolaryngology: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis

Dear Colleagues, 

Personalized medicine is transforming otorhinolaryngology (ENT) by shifting care from a "one-size-fits-all" model to individualized strategies grounded in molecular, genetic, and anatomical profiling. Driven by an aging global population and rising disease burden, this field addresses complex conditions such as head and neck cancers, chronic rhinosinusitis endotypes, and hearing loss. Basic laboratory studies (organoid models, single-cell sequencing, pharmacogenomics) uncover disease pathways and biological targets, while epidemiological studies and large-scale registries provide the population-level data needed to validate these biomarkers, account for health disparities, and build predictive risk models.

Despite challenges related to high diagnostic costs, data integration, and global health equities, this interdisciplinary convergence remains exceptionally timely. Integrating benchside mechanisms with epidemiological insights equips otolaryngologists with biologically grounded, population-validated prognostic tools to preserve sensory function, minimize treatment toxicity, and optimize patient outcomes.

This Special Issue will present the most recent advances regarding how precision medicine transforms the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of ENT disorders. We invite contributions seeking to bridge the gap between basic laboratory discovery, large-scale population health, and bedside clinical application. By showcasing diverse methodologies, this Special Issue will establish new benchmarks for patient care, optimize treatment efficacy, and improve long-term outcomes.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Molecular Profiling and Biomarkers: Discovery of novel genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic biomarkers for early detection and risk stratification in ENT diseases.
2. Precision Head and Neck Oncology: Targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and personalized treatment de-escalation strategies based on tumor biology and survival datasets.
3. Advanced Rhinology and Endotyping: Individualized management of chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and skull base pathologies using biological agents.
4. Otology, Neurotology & Hearing Restoration: Genetic screening for inherited sensorineural hearing loss, individualized neural response telemetry for cochlear implant tuning, and patient-matched ossicular prosthetics.
5. Real-World Evidence & Pharmacoepidemiology: Leveraging population-level datasets to validate laboratory-derived biomarkers, track long-term treatment outcomes, and evaluate health disparities across diverse patient cohorts.
6. Prognostic Stratification Models: Integrating clinical, environmental (e.g., tobacco/HPV exposure), and molecular risk factors to predict survival and quality-of-life outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Herng-Ching Lin
Dr. Shih-Han Hung
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Personalized Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.

• otorhinolaryngology
• precision medicine
• ENT disorders
• epidemiology
• molecular profiling