Discovery and Development of Anti-Cancer Drugs: From Signalling Pathways to Molecular Mechanisms
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 51
Special Issue Editors
2. INCT-UroGen Coordinator, National Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation in Genitourinary Cancer (INCT), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: immunology; immune oncology; genitourinary cancer; urologic oncology; oncology; urology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology; vaccine; immunochemistry
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, entitled "Discovery and Development of Anti-Cancer Drugs: From Signalling Pathways to Molecular Mechanisms", aims to highlight groundbreaking advances in the understanding of cancer chemicobiology and the translation of these insights into novel therapeutic strategies. By bridging the gap between basic molecular research and drug development, this issue seeks to promote interdisciplinary collaboration among medicinal chemists, cancer biologists, and immunologists, and it will emphasize the mechanistic foundations that drive the discovery and optimization of targeted anti-cancer therapies.
The development of next-generation cancer therapies demands a deep understanding of the molecular circuitry that drives tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. The focus will be on unraveling key oncogenic signaling pathways, tumor microenvironmental interactions, and molecular determinants of drug sensitivity and resistance. Special attention will be given to the rational design of small molecules, biologics, and immunotherapies that target these pathways, as well as to novel approaches in preclinical modeling, biomarker identification, and clinical translation.
Prof. Dr. Leonardo Oliveira Reis
Prof. Dr. Lívia Bitencourt Pascoal
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
- discovery of small-molecule inhibitors targeting oncogenic kinases and transcription factors
- mechanisms of action and resistance for current and emerging cancer drugs
- targeting DNA damage response pathways (e.g., PARP, ATR, ATM inhibitors)
- molecular crosstalk between tumor cells and the immune system
- role of epigenetics in cancer drug resistance and sensitivity
- tumor metabolism as a therapeutic target in Immunochemistry
- structure-based drug design and virtual screening
- antibody–drug conjugates and novel biologic therapeutics
- RNA-targeting therapeutics and mRNA-based cancer vaccines
- advances in PROTACs and targeted protein degradation
- application of AI and computational chemical biology in drug discovery
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
