Stem Cells and Signaling Pathways in Pulmonary Biology

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 April 2026 | Viewed by 30

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, Department of Child Health, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Interests: pulmonary biology; lung progenitor stem cells; signaling pathways; lung regenerative medicine; stem cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pulmonary biology integrates stem cell research with the study of signaling pathways, providing new opportunities for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and therapeutic development. In recent years, studies have revealed that diverse pulmonary stem/progenitor populations—including basal, club, alveolar type II, and mesenchymal stem cells—play central roles in lung development, homeostasis, repair, and regeneration, while the dysregulation of pathway cascades such as Wnt, Notch, TGF-β, Hippo, and Hedgehog underpins a range of pulmonary pathologies, from fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to lung cancer. This Special Issue invites original research, comprehensive reviews, and brief communications that advance our understanding of the crosstalk between stem cells and signaling networks in pulmonary contexts. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: the identification and characterization of novel lung stem/progenitor cells; mechanistic insights into signaling modulation during regeneration or injury; the interplay between multiple pathways in determining cell fate decisions; modeling disease via organoids or in vivo systems; and translational strategies harnessing stem cells and pathway targeting for repair or cancer therapy. Our goal is to assemble a curated collection of cutting-edge contributions that illuminate how stem cell behavior in the lung is orchestrated by signaling dynamics. We encourage prospective authors to submit a tentative title and a ~100-word abstract to the Editorial Office for early consideration. Upon positive feedback, full manuscripts may be submitted for peer review. Overall, this Special Issue aims to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue and accelerate innovation at the intersection of developmental biology, cell signaling, and pulmonary medicine.

Dr. Bingqiang Wen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • pulmonary biology
  • lung progenitor stem cells
  • signaling pathways
  • lung repair and regeneration
  • multi-omics

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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