Special Issues

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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Microbial Diversity and Function in Aquatic Environments
edited by Xianglong Chen and
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3334 | Submission Open
Keywords: aquatic environment; microbial diversity and function; element biogeochemical cycle; interaction between microorganisms and aquatic environments; metaomic approaches
(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Advancing Nanotechnology in Cancer Theranostics
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1923 | Submission Open
Keywords: nanotechnology; cancer; nanoscale materials; nanoparticles; diagnostic accuracy; therapeutic efficacy; metastasis detection and prediction; targeted drug delivery; personalized cancer therapy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Metabolic Research in Animal Nutrition submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 387 | Submission Open
Keywords: nutrition; supplementation; microbiota; obesity; metabolic syndrome; metabolic disorders and diseases; hormonal factors; development and metabolism; metabolomics; nutrigenomics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)
3D Imaging and Facial Reconstruction
edited by Marios Papadakis
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 373 | Submission Open
Keywords: 3D imaging; facial plastic surgery; reconstructive surgery; virtual surgical planning; custom implants; preoperative planning; intraoperative navigation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Targeting Hormonal Regulation in Prostate Cancer
edited by Marília Figueira
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 279 | Submission Open
Keywords: prostate cancer; castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); metastatic prostate cancer; estrogens; estrogen receptors; drug resistance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Nutrition–Physiology Interactions in Aquatic Species
edited by , and
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 85 | Submission Open
Keywords: aquatic animal nutrition; fish physiology; sustainable aquaculture; alternative lipid sources; alternative protein sources; gut– microbiota interactions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Trends and Applications—4th Edition submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 70 | Submission Open
Keywords: clinical physical medicine and rehabilitation; neurorehabilitation; cardiopulmonary rehabilitation; orthopedic rehabilitation; pediatric rehabilitation; geriatric rehabilitation; cancer rehabilitation; musculoskeletal pain management; physical therapy; occupational therapy; speech and swallowing therapy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Epidemiology)
New Advances in Neuroimaging and Brain Functions: 2nd Edition submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 13334 | Submission Open
Keywords: neuroimaging; brain functions; neurological diseases; humanities and social sciences; noninvasive methods; AI deep learning
(This special issue belongs to the Section Radiobiology and Nuclear Medicine)
Pancreatic Cancer: Long Survivals
edited by Francesco Leonardi and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 5689 | Submission Open
Keywords: pancreatic cancer; long survival; outcome; pancreatic adenocarcinoma; long-term survival; surgical resection; chemotherapy; NGS
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Pain and Therapy: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 5018 | Submission Open
Keywords: pain; nociceptive pain; neuropathic pain; neoplastic pain; pain physiology; pain treatment
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Recent Advances in Valve Therapy: Clinical and Molecular Perspectives
edited by , Konstantinos Toutouzas and Constantina Aggeli
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 835 | Submission Open
Keywords: transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI); valve-in-valve; long-term outcomes; aortic stenosis; molecular mechanisms in valve disease; structural heart disease
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Natural Products and Modern Drug Discovery: Emerging Strategies Targeting Cancer- and Disease-Related Molecular Mechanisms
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 757 | Submission Open
Keywords: natural products; phytochemicals; drug discovery; bioactivity profiling; pharmacophore modeling; synthetic biology; cancer therapy; microbial metabolites
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Common and Novel Markers of Inflammation and Tissue Damage in Various Pathological Conditions—2nd Edition submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 654 | Submission Open
Keywords: body fluids; cytokines; damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs); inflammatory response; injury; markers of inflammation and tissue damage; metalloproteinases; novel markers; pathological conditions; proteasome; tissue damage; tissue repair processes; various diseases
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Advances in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 572 | Submission Open
Keywords: emergency medicine; critical care; trauma; infectious diseases; elderly
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Advances in Cardiac Arrest: Prognostic Performance and Management
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 564 | Submission Open
Keywords: cardiac arrest; resuscitation; emergency medicine; critical care medicine
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Plant–Soil Interactions Under Global Change
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 412 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant– soil interactions; biodiversity; ecosystem; agroecosystem; natural ecosystem; sustainable development
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Science)
Exploring the Mechanisms of the Effects of Microplastics and Nanomaterials on Biological Physiological Functions
edited by Yung-Li Wang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 317 | Submission Open
Keywords: microplastics; nanomaterials; environmental toxicology; oxidative stress; physiological function
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Parasite Detection, Control Strategies and Risk Factors Related to Reproductive Health in Livestock submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 314 | Submission Open
Keywords: livestock; parasite control; reproductive health; management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)
Cell Asymmetry and Polarity: Guiding Cellular Behavior and Development: Second Edition
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 179 | Submission Open
Keywords: cell asymmetry; cell polarity; tissue morphogenesis; planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway; Wnt pathway; therapeutic implications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering)
Pig Microbiota Metabolism and Intestinal Health
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 100 | Submission Open
Keywords: pig microbiota; metabolism; intestinal health; gut microbiome; functional genomics; microbiome-host interactions; animal nutrition; disease resistance; gut barrier function; omics technologies; immune function; antibiotic reduction; feed efficiency; pathogen control; gastrointestinal health
(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)
Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Advances and Perspectives
edited by Ane Claudia Fernandes Nunes
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 82 | Submission Open
Keywords: intracerebral hemorrhage; microangiopathic disease; cerebral microhemorrhages blood– brain barrier; small vessel disease
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gestational Diseases
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 73 | Submission Open
Keywords: gestational diseases; gestational diabetes; preeclampsia; pregnancy complications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Liver Disease: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatments
edited by Hsien-Hui Chung
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 69 | Submission Open
Keywords: alcoholic hepatitis; artificial intelligence; biomarkers; clinical trials; gut– liver axis; liver cancer; metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis; molecular targets; pharmacotherapeutic mechanisms; therapeutic strategies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
The Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer and Diseases and Therapeutic Explorations
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 63 | Submission Open
Keywords: cancer metabolism; mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations; oxidative stress; mitophagy and autophagy; mitochondria-targeted therapy; metabolic reprograming; mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission); redox biology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Advances in Female Imaging: Focus on Breast and Gynecological Diagnostics
edited by Silvia Gigli, Emanuele David and Giacomo Bonito
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 62 | Submission Open
Keywords: breast cancer; breast screening; gynecological cancer; mammography; CEM; ultrasound; MRI; PET/TC; radiomics; artificial intelligence
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Microbiome–Gut–Brain Connections: New Windows into Health and Disease
edited by and Qi Su
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 57 | Submission Open
Keywords: gut microbes; gut– brain axis; neuroscience
(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Advances in the Rehabilitation of Stroke
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 55 | Submission Open
Keywords: stroke; acute stroke; chronic stroke; post-acute stroke; functional recovery; rehabilitation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Cancer Genetics and Genomics: From Structure to Therapy
edited by Luca Járomi and Gellért Gerencsér
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 47 | Submission Open
Keywords: epigenetics; cancer therapy; multidrug resistance (MDR); accumulation; biomarkers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Genetics and Genomics)
Current Updates on Equidae Breeding and Genetics submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open
Keywords: complex trait; selection; animal welfare; genomic inbreeding; horse; donkey; mule
(This special issue belongs to the Section Animal Science)
Microbial Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open
Keywords: synthetic biology tools; microbial biomanufacturing; future foods; bulk chemicals; plant natural products
(This special issue belongs to the Section Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology)
Brain Health for All Ages: Leave No One Behind
edited by and Dilani Wijeratne
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: brain health; neurology; neurological syndromes
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Chemical Evolutionary Pathways to Origins of Life
edited by and Christian Seitz
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 37 | Submission Open
Keywords: origin of life; metabolism-first; early Earth; iron– sulfur world; chemical evolution  ; cellularization; surface catalysis; pioneer organism
(This special issue belongs to the Section Origin of Life)
New Insights into Pneumonia Pathophysiology—from Lung Fibrosis to Coagulation Disorders
edited by Mihai Lazar
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 34 | Submission Open
Keywords: pneumonia pathophysiology; lung fibrosis; coagulation disorders; thromboinflammation; immune dysregulation; diagnostic biomarkers; translational medicine
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)

The Biological Impacts of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

edited by Kelly J. Huffman
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 26 | Submission Open
Keywords: fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; fetal alcohol syndrome; brain development; behavioral development; prenatal exposure
(This special issue belongs to the Section Reproductive and Developmental Biology)
Advanced Machine Learning for Bio-Signal Processing and Health Monitoring
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 8 | Submission Open
Keywords: brain– computer interface (BCI); electroencephalogram (EEG); machine learning; biomedical signal processing; brain computer interface; health monitoring
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Mechanisms and Ecology of Migration and Homing
edited by Hynek Burda
submission deadline 1 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 23 | Submission Open
Keywords: migration; homing; navigation; spatial orientation; magnetoreception; cognitive maps; seasonality; spatial memory
(This special issue belongs to the Section Diversity and Ecology)
Advances in Endoscopic, Surgical, and Interventional Radiological Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases
edited by
submission deadline 6 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5198 | Submission Open
Keywords: gastrointestinal disease; endoscopic cystogastrostomy; endoscopic biliary prosthesis; endoscopic pancreatic prosthesis; endoscopic necrosectomy; esophagectomy; gastrectomy; bowel resection; colectomy; pancreatectomy; hepatectomy; liver transplantation; gastroenterology; surgery; interventional radiology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Pain Epidemiology
edited by
submission deadline 14 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open
Keywords: pain epidemiology; chronic pain; neuropathic pain; nociplastic pain; headache; migraine; orofacial pain; low back pain
(This special issue belongs to the Section Epidemiology)
Prebiotic Chemistry: The Molecular Origins of Life
edited by
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 35 | Submission Open
Keywords: astrobiology; astrochemistry; biochemistry; computational modelling; geochemistry; metabolic pathways; lipid formation; peptide synthesis; photochemistry; radiation chemistry; RNA world; self-assembly; systems chemistry
(This special issue belongs to the Section Origin of Life)
Microbiome Dynamics: Advancing Therapeutic Development in Health and Disease
edited by , Sukyung Kim and
submission deadline 16 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 53 | Submission Open
Keywords: next-generation probiotics (NGPs); microbiome-based therapeutics; metagenomics and multi-omics integration; microbial biomarkers; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs); artificial human microbiome simulators; GMP-scale production; clinical translation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Omics Approaches in Antipsychotic Pharmacology
edited by
submission deadline 18 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 13 | Submission Open
Keywords: antipsychotics; genomics; epigenomics; transcriptomics; lipidomics; metabolomics; proteomics; human; animal
(This special issue belongs to the Section Pharmaceutical Science)
Current Challenges in Human Space Flight submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 11344 | Submission Open
Keywords: cognition; microgravity; sleep; stress; Martian and lunar dust; neural stem cells and progenitors
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astrobiology)
Musculoskeletal Function and Exercise Physiology: Integrative Approaches and Emerging Insights
edited by , , and Luke Chowning
submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 17 | Submission Open
Keywords: resistance exercise; aerobic exercise; neuromuscular; kinematics; kinetics; biomechanics; electromyography; imaging techniques; muscle function; motion analysis; sport performance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Mucopolysaccharidosis-Plus: From Molecular Defects to Therapeutic Strategies
edited by Zuzanna Cyske
submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 15 | Submission Open
Keywords: mucopolysaccharidosis; mucopolysaccharidosis-plus syndrome; MPSPS; VPS33A; therapy; patomechanism; diagnostic; patients’ care
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Biomechanics of Aging submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 73 | Submission Open
Keywords: aging; biomechanics; musculoskeletal; gait; balance; falls; exercise; assistive devices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Physiology and Pathology)
Skin Aging and Dermatosis
edited by Edwin Lephart and Zoe D. Draelos
submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 66 | Submission Open
Keywords: skin aging; chronological dermal aging; photo-aging; hormone therapy; menopause; estrogen-deficient skin; dermatosis; skin conditions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
The Link Between Food Safety and Microbiology
edited by
submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 60 | Submission Open
Keywords: food safety; food microbiology; beneficial microbes; food preservation; food safety enhancement
(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Oral Health: Microbial Dynamics and Antibiotic Stewardship
edited by Kristina Peroš
submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 50 | Submission Open
Keywords: oral health; oral microbiota; microbial dynamics; antibiotic stewardship
(This special issue belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Conservative Management of Chronic Disease—2nd Edition
edited by
submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: chronic disease; conservative management; trial protocol; clinical research; interventions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
Gynecology Update: Modern Diagnostic Approaches and Innovative Therapies
edited by Szabolcs Várbíró, , Richárd Tóth and Balázs Lintner
submission deadline 26 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 11 | Submission Open
Keywords: gynecologic oncology; endocrinology; reproductive medicine; fertility preservation; prevention; women’ s health innovation; quality of life; personalized therapy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Medical Research)
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