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Life publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Unusual Genomic Traits in Their Evolutionary Context

edited by Miguel Naranjo-Ortiz

submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 137 | Submission Open

Keywords: unusual genomes; genomic traits; comparative genomics; descriptive genomics; evolutionary genomics; non-model organisms; methodological limitations in genomics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Genetics and Genomics)

2nd Edition—Featured Papers on the Origins of Life

edited by James R. Lyons

submission deadline 17 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4073 | Submission Open

Keywords: astrobiology; astrochemistry; planetary science; prebiotic chemistry; chirality; chemical evolution; protocells; synthetic biology; complex systems

(This special issue belongs to the Section Origin of Life)

Unravelling the Molecular Mechanisms of Different Stress Responses in Plants

edited by

Hakim Manghwar

submission deadline 18 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1489 | Submission Open

Keywords: biotic stresses; abiotic stresses; plant growth and development; crop productivity; molecular mechanisms

(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Science)

Innovative Approaches in Dermatological Therapies and Diagnostics

edited by

Federica Li Pomi

and

Francesco Borgia

submission deadline 26 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 8196 | Submission Open

Keywords: dermatology; inflammatory diseases; skin cancer; non-invasive diagnosis; dermoscopy; confocal dermoscopy; targeted therapy; JAK inhibitors; biologics; artificial intelligence

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Recent Advances in Shockwave Therapy for Musculoskeletal and Soft-Tissue Disorders

edited by

Marco Gesi

Mario Vetrano

, Maria Chiara Vulpiani, Maria Cristina D'Agostino, Larisa Ryskalin and Federica Fulceri

submission deadline 26 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 7126 | Submission Open

Keywords: shockwave; tissue regeneration; pain; functional recovery and healing; physical medicine and rehabilitation; clinical applications; imaging

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Advances in Diagnostic Imaging for Systemic Disorders

edited by Christoph Strolz

submission deadline 29 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 121 | Submission Open

Keywords: high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT); diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI); dual-energy CT in musculoskeletal imaging; high-resolution ultrasonography; SPECT/CT; PET/CT modalities

(This special issue belongs to the Section Radiobiology and Nuclear Medicine)

Current Views on Knee Osteoarthritis: 3rd Edition

edited by

Sevdalina Nikolova Lambova

submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1334 | Submission Open

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis; metabolic syndrome; obesity; pathogenesis; adipokines; disease-modifying; treatment; personalized medicine

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Advances in Dialysis Pathology: Insights into Peritoneal and Hemodialysis Complications

edited by

Chien-Hung Lin

submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 99 | Submission Open

Keywords: peritoneal dialysis; hemodialysis; acute kidney injury (AKI); chronic kidney disease; pathology; complication

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Advances in Neural Stem Cell Medicine

edited by Kiminobu Sugaya

submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 82 | Submission Open

Keywords: neural stem cell; neurodegenerative diseases; cell therapy; exosomes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Cystic Fibrosis: A Disease with a New Face

edited by

Janice Wang

and Patricia A. Walker

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 14 articles | Viewed by 36823 | Submission Open

Keywords: cystic fibrosis; CFTR modulator; CF newborn screening; CF nutrition; lung transplant in CF; CF family planning

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Plant Biotic and Abiotic Stresses 2024

edited by

Gastón Pizzio

and

Jie Luo

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 23 articles | Viewed by 30121 | Submission Open

Keywords: plant stress; abiotic stress; biotic stress

(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Science)

Gastrointestinal Health: Clinical Research and Therapeutic Innovations

edited by

Ludovico Abenavoli

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 18 articles | Viewed by 29339 | Submission Open

Keywords: gut microbiota; inflammatory bowel diseases; irritable bowel syndrome; gastroesophageal reflux disease; fatty liver disease; liver cirrhosis; probiotics; mediterranean diet; epidemiology; diagnosis; treatment; artificial intelligence

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

New Trends in Otorhinolaryngology

edited by

Arianna Di Stadio

Massimo Ralli

and

Pietro De Luca

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 9 articles | Viewed by 18884 | Submission Open

Keywords: head and neck; otolaryngology; hearing loss; speech disorders; swallowing disorders; cancer; microRNA; nose; plastic surgery

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Clinical Management and Prevention of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

edited by

Zoltan Kozinszky

and

Andrea Suranyi

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 14603 | Submission Open

Keywords: pathologic pregnancies; ultrasound; clinical and molecular characteristics; fetal pathologies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Reproductive and Developmental Biology)

New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Developments in Eye and Systemic Diseases

edited by

Zhihong (Jewel) Hu

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 12270 | Submission Open

Keywords: eye diseases; systemic diseases; oculomics; ocular imaging; eye surgery; retina; cornea; glaucoma; refractive surgery; OCT; OCTA

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals: Exploring Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Dynamics Through Small Mammal Monitoring and Research: 2nd Edition

edited by

Vasileios A. Bontzorlos

and

George P. Mitsainas

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 8617 | Submission Open

Keywords: small mammals; biodiversity; indicators; monitoring; assessment; communities

(This special issue belongs to the Section Diversity and Ecology)

New Insights into Breast Cancer: Current Controversies and Future Perspectives

edited by

Alejandro Martin Sanchez

, Angela Bucaro and Flavia de Lauretis

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 8591 | Submission Open

Keywords: breast cancer treatment; oncoplastic surgery; conservative mastectomy; breast reconstruction; sentinel node biopsy; chemotherapy; radiotherapy; integrated therapies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Advances in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Emerging Therapies

edited by

Ioannis Katsaros

and

Dimitrios Schizas

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 8501 | Submission Open

Keywords: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD); steatohepatitis; metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance; apoptosis/cell death

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Trends in Clinical Research 2025

edited by

Pabulo Rampelotto

Anca Oana Docea

and

Katalin Prokai-Tatrai

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 6576 | Submission Open

Keywords: artificial intelligence; biomedical research; digital health; evidence-based medicine; health policy; new therapies; new drugs; patient-centered research; personalized medicine; translational medicine

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Effects of Drugs in Cancer—2nd Edition

edited by

Elżbieta Janina Płuciennik

Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat

and

Damian Kołat

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6312 | Submission Open

Keywords: cancer; therapy; cancer drug; molecular mechanism; signaling pathways; targeted therapy; in silico drug response studies; innovative cancer treatment

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Recent Advances in Functional Genomics

edited by Katerina R. Katsani and

Cinzia Montemurro

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 5874 | Submission Open

Keywords: chromatin profiling; CRISPR screens; crop genomics; epigenome editing; epigenomics; interactomes; metagenomics; pharmacogenomics; phenomics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Genetics and Genomics)

Obstetrics and Gynecology Medicine: From Bench to Bedside—2nd Edition

edited by

Stefano Canosa

and

Anna Maria Nuzzo

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 5713 | Submission Open

Keywords: obstetrics; gynecology; translational research; translational medicine

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Advances in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

edited by

Mariagiovanna Cantone

and

Giuseppe Lanza

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 5486 | Submission Open

Keywords: translational neuroscience; clinical neurophysiology; neurodegeneration; neural plasticity; neurosonology; sleep disorders; cognitive decline; non-invasive brain stimulation; nutraceuticals; neurogenetics; transcranial magnetic stimulation; dementia; vascular cognitive impairment; stroke; depression; metaplasticity; motor cortex; motor learning; neurotrophins; transcranial-focused ultrasound

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Effects of Exercise and Functional Interventions on Musculoskeletal Health

edited by

Seong-Gil Kim

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4625 | Submission Open

Keywords: musculoskeletal health; exercise; physical function; joint stability; fall prevention; rehabilitation science

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Mechanism, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Novelties in Dermatology: 3rd Edition

edited by Jose Carlos Armario Hita,

Jose Juan Pereyra Rodriguez

and

Ricardo Ruiz-Villaverde

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3684 | Submission Open

Keywords: physiopathology; skin sonography; dermoscopy; innovation; confocal microscopy; biological treatment; psoriasis; atopic dermatitis; inmmunomediated diseases; urticaria; laser CO2

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Plant Physiology: From Omic Analysis Toward Physiological Mechanism Research: 2nd Edition

edited by

Sen Meng

and Fang He

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3625 | Submission Open

Keywords: plant physiology; transcriptome; proteomics; gene regulatory network; bioinformation; omics; molecular mechanisms

(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Science)

Molecular Mechanisms of Preeclampsia

edited by Feng Li

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3315 | Submission Open

Keywords: preeclampsia; hypertension; proteinuria; placenta; fetal growth restriction; pregnancy com-plications; implantation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Reproductive and Developmental Biology)

Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Diseases

edited by Stelvio Tonello

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2628 | Submission Open

Keywords: cytokines; chemokines; and immune mediators as pharmacodynamic biomarkers; genomic and epigenomic contributions to drug response variability; proteomic and metabolomic profiling to guide pharmacotherapy in inflammation; biomarker-driven strategies for drug development and personalized treatment; mechanistic studies on drug– biomarker interactions and their clinical relevance; novel biomarkers for predicting adverse drug reactions in inflammatory diseases

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Feature Papers in Animal Science: 4th Edition

edited by

Einar Ringø

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2500 | Submission Open

Keywords: fish; microbial ecology; lipid nutrition; electron microscopy; gut microbiota; proteomics; next-generation sequencing; arthropod parasites; protease inhibitors; disease vectors; cystatin; serpin; Kunitz; tick; insect; vector– host interaction; innate immunity; shellfish immunology; bivalve molluscs; transcriptomics; diseases; hemocytes; microscopy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)

Antimicrobial Innovations

edited by

Pere Puigbò

and Miho Nakamura

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2476 | Submission Open

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; biopreservation; lactic acid bacteria; bacteriocins; bacteriophages; natural antimicrobials; antimicrobial peptides; foodborne pathogens; antimicrobial biomaterials; race for the surface; microbial growth models; food safety

(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)

The Emerging Clinical Relevance of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Wearable Devices in Headache

edited by

Masahito Katsuki

Tomokazu Shimazu

, Muneto Tatsumoto and Shingo Shimoda

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2107 | Submission Open

Keywords: headache; migraine; tension-type headache; trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias; medication-overuse headache; primary headaches; secondary headaches; raising awareness; calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies; artificial intelligence; wearable devices; data sciences

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Bioactive Compounds for Medicine and Health

edited by

Christiana Charalambous

and

Alexandru Vasincu

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2092 | Submission Open

Keywords: phytochemistry; bioactive compounds; cancer; immune modulation; heart disease; diabetes; obesity; neurodegenerative diseases; neuroprotection

(This special issue belongs to the Section Pharmaceutical Science)

Advances in Research on Motor Deficits Caused by Neurological Disorders: From Mechanism to Treatment

edited by

Mengliang Zhang

and Hans Hultborn

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2063 | Submission Open

Keywords: neurological disorders; neurodegenerative diseases; brain injury; spinal cord injury; stroke; cerebral palsy; peripheral nerve injury; paralysis; spasticity; contracture; muscle weakness; postural asymmetry; gate pattern changes; uncontrolled movements

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

From Muscle to Fascia: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

edited by

Antonio Stecco

Carla Stecco

and

Carmelo Pirri

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1762 | Submission Open

Keywords: connective tissue; deep fascia; superficial fascia; retinacula; muscle stiffness; hyaluronan; densification; biomechanics; therapies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Neurobiological and Neuroepigenetic Factors in Childhood Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obesity

edited by Elisa Na

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1463 | Submission Open

Keywords: obesity; autism spectrum disorder; hypothalamus; cerebellum; frontal cortex; epigenetics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Diagnosis and Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

edited by

Geng-Long Hsu

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1281 | Submission Open

Keywords: erectile dysfunction; non-invasive methods; surgical strategies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Move to Thrive: Pioneering Health and Resilience Through Physical Activity

edited by

Silvana Mirella Aliberti

Franca Di Meglio

and

Daria Nurzynska

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1040 | Submission Open

Keywords: physical activity; inflammation modulation; chronic disease prevention; immune system adaptation; biomechanics; rehabilitation strategies; sports medicine; aging and physical activity; disability and movement; environmental and regional influences on exercise

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Airway Management in Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine

edited by

Prashant Nasa

and Tonny V. Veenith

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 989 | Submission Open

Keywords: airway management; critical care; laryngoscopy; intubation; intratracheal; emergency treatment

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Animal Reproduction and Health

edited by

Rachel Moxon

and

Ana Faustino

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 975 | Submission Open

Keywords: animal; reproduction; genetics; heritability; disease; fertility; sperm; health; pregnancy; neonatal health and development; microbiome health and development

(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)

Advances in Artificial Intelligence for Medical Image Analysis: 2nd Edition

edited by

Xin Jin

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 740 | Submission Open

Keywords: artificial intelligence; medical imaging; deep learning for medical imaging; histopathological image analysis; medical diagnosis; visualization in biomedical imaging; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); X-ray computed tomography (CT); positron emission tomography (PET); medical image fusion

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Conservation Ecology and Management of Mammalian Predators

edited by

Sándor Csányi

and

Miklós Gábor Heltai

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 705 | Submission Open

Keywords: mammalian predators; mesocarnivores; terrestrial predators; predator– prey interactions

(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)

Traumatic Brain Injury: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Biomarkers

edited by

Jeff Victoroff

and

Alfredo Conti

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 655 | Submission Open

Keywords: traumatic brain injury; neurotrauma; epidemiology; rehabilitation; neurological disorders; biomarkers

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Pain: New Insights into Mechanisms, Diagnosis, Therapy, and Management

edited by

Yiwen Lin

and I-Han Hsiao

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 626 | Submission Open

Keywords: pain; mechanisms; signaling pathways; diagnosis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Advancements in Heart Failure Research: 2nd Edition

edited by Tzu-Hurng Cheng,

Ju-Chi Liu

and

Po-Yuan Chen

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 595 | Submission Open

Keywords: cardiac remodeling; biomarkers; precision medicine; patient-centered care; therapeutic innovations

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

Advancing Cancer Radiodiagnostics Through Artificial Intelligence: Techniques, Applications, and Challenges

edited by Pei-Ju Chao,

Tsair-Fwu Lee

Peter Elkin

and

Roberto Iezzi

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 534 | Submission Open

Keywords: artificial intelligence; cancer radiodiagnostics; machine learning; tumor detection; radiomics integration

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)

Postharvest Softening, Flavor and Quality of Fruits: Molecular Mechanisms and Regulatory Approaches

edited by Qinggang Zhu and Yaxiu Xu

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 513 | Submission Open

Keywords: fruit softening; fruit quality; fruit flavor; molecular mechanisms; regulatory approaches

(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Science)

Synthetic Genetic Elements, Devices, and Systems: 2nd Edition

edited by

Chunbo Lou

and

Yusuke Kato

submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 461 | Submission Open

Keywords: synthetic biology; synthetic genetic elements/parts; biobricks; artificial gene synthesis; biocomputing; directed evolution; metabolic engineering/cell factory; optogenetics; genetic code expansion; xenobiology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology)

The Interactions Between Cells and Their Microenvironment

edited by