Advances in Computational and Spatial Pathology

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Physiology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 32

Special Issue Editor

SciLifeLab, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: spatial transcriptomics; computational pathology; molecular pathology of cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Computational pathology and spatial pathology are rapidly reshaping how we study and diagnose disease. Advances in whole-slide imaging, deep learning, and large-scale image analysis have enabled quantitative and reproducible assessment of tissue morphology, while spatially resolved omics technologies now map RNA, proteins, and other molecular features directly within intact tissue architectures. Together, these approaches provide a powerful framework for understanding tissue organization, cellular neighborhoods, and microenvironmental interactions in both health and disease.

This Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Computational and Spatial Pathology”, will bring together cutting-edge research at the interface of digital pathology, AI-driven image analysis, and spatially resolved molecular profiling. We welcome contributions that develop new methods, tools, or applications in the following fields:

  • Computational analysis of histopathology and whole-slide images;
  • Spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics;
  • Multiplexed imaging and tissue segmentation;
  • Integrative analysis combining morphology, spatial omics, and clinical data;
  • Discovery of biomarkers and tissue phenotypes with translational or clinical relevance.

We particularly encourage studies that bridge computational methodology with practical pathology, including algorithm development, benchmark datasets, open-source software, and clinically oriented case studies. By assembling work across these domains, this Special Issue will outline the emerging landscape of computational and spatial pathology and highlight how these technologies can drive the next generation of precision diagnostics and mechanistic tissue biology.

Dr. Taobo Hu
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 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. Life 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.

Keywords

  • computational pathology
  • spatial pathology
  • spatial transcriptomics
  • spatial proteomics
  • digital pathology
  • whole-slide imaging
  • deep learning
  • machine learning
  • tumor microenvironment
  • tissue architecture
  • multiplexed imaging
  • biomarker discovery
  • multimodal data integration

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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