Advances in pre-clinical cancer models

Cancer models are indispensable research tools, as they help elucidating the mechanisms involved in tumour onset and progression, leading to the development of new therapeutic treatments. While widely-used conventional two-dimensional cell models have been the gold standard for many decades, some of their main limitations include the lack of representation of the stromal population, the absence of a three-dimensional structure, and a poor representation of inter-tumour and intra-tumour heterogeneity. Therefore, a multitude of novel cancer models are emerging, which can advance the understanding of tumour pathophysiology and behavior. This will ultimately help improving patients’ clinical outcomes, through the introduction of more personalized and targeted treatments in the clinical setting.

Topics of interest for this special issue include but are not limited to:

●      Scaffold-based in vitro models

●      3D cell cultures

●      Co-culture settings

●      Tumour organoids

●      Large and small animal models

●      Genetically engineered cell lines and animal models

●      Chemically induced tumour models

●      Xenotransplantation models (Patient derived xenografts, cell-line derived xenograft)

●      Allotransplantation models

Stigma and mental health in infectious diseases

This collection welcomes the submission of manuscripts of outstanding interest covering the breadth of multi-disciplinary studies, ranging from observational to interventional that are focused on the relationship between infectious disease-related stigma and mental health, resilience and quality of life. We envision this work to inform future research, frameworks, intervention development, and policy.

Sample foci of papers include:

  ● Associations between infectious disease stigma and mental health

  ● Resilience or quality of life interventions 

  ● Novel intervention approaches and methods

  ●  Intersectionality of stigma and mental health with race, gender, class

  ● Novel data collection/evaluation tools

  ● Approaches to reduce structural drivers of stigma

The Impact of COVID-19 on Lung Cancer Patients

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in public health measures causing significant disruption across lung cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and management pathways. The pandemic has presented many challenges for lung cancer patients. These measures have also impacted people's behaviour and their interaction with the healthcare system. Therefore, increased knowledge of the broader as well as biological impacts of COVID-19 on lung cancer patients' health, is required.

To help address this need, BMC Pulmonary Medicine has launched this call for papers to bring together research on:

●      characterising the interaction of COVID-19 and lung cancer,

●      health-related behaviour changes impacting lung cancer patients,

●      the effect of changes to lung cancer care pathways,

●      and the long term impact of the pandemic on lung cancer patients.

Ocular Surface Diseases

We are launching a collection focused on the debilitating chronic diseases of the ocular surface, with the aim to collate recent advances and to comprehensively review developments in OSD research.

We are particularly interested in research on the pathogenesis of OSD as well as in studies describing novel patient-centric treatment strategies. We will be considering both basic and clinical research but strongly encourage authors to submit their experimental work to this collection. We are also interested in high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses from this field.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

● Advances in treatment of dry eye disease, Meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis

● Basic research focused on the pathophysiology of OSD

● Newer imaging modalities for clinical diagnostics of OSD

● Ocular surface and tear biomarkers

● OSD as the consequence of ophthalmic surgery

● The ocular microbiome

● Ocular surface and aging

Oral and Systemic Health

According to the World Health Organisation, oral diseases pose a major public health burden worldwide, with almost 10% of the global population being affected by severe periodontal disease. Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated a connection between oral and overall health. For example, periodontal disease has been linked to many common non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease and cancer. Therefore, a greater understanding of oral-systemic health is required to improve our general health and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. BMC Oral Health has launched a new collection to bring together articles on oral-systemic health to highlight this need for knowledge.

The Collection will consider:

●      Observational studies investigating associations between oral and systemic health.

●      Studies investigating common modifiable risk factors associated with oral and systemic diseases.

●      Research on the biological mechanisms connecting oral and systemic health.

●      Preventative strategies to improve oral and systemic health.

Wearable Biosensors

Wearable biosensors are becoming increasingly important health monitoring tools. These non-invasive devices are able to provide continuous, real-time physiological information by  measuring biomarkers, for example metabolites and hormones, that are necessary for monitoring health conditions as well as being able to aid with medical diagnoses.

New Content ItemBMC Digital Health is calling for submissions to our Collection presenting novel developments in wearable biosensor design and its applications, including, but not limited to, advances in biosensing and microfluidic sampling, advances in disease monitoring and the design of new, novel wearables or wearable materials.

Plant proteostasis  

Homeostasis of the proteome, also known as proteostasis, involves a diverse set of mechanisms, ranging from protein translation, folding and trafficking, to multiple degradation pathways like autophagy, proteasomal degradation or vacuolar digestion. It is a key feature to ensure cellular homeostasis, allowing for the fine-tuning of protein concentrations and activity in response to specific cues. Plant proteostasis has been shown to play key roles in development and immunity, and is remarkably involved in the regulation of all plant hormone biosynthesis pathways. Thus, understanding the interplay between the different mechanisms involved in proteome regulation is likely to open new doors for plant breeding.

This Collection invites original research on plant proteostasis, from the molecular and biochemical processes regulating the proteome, to their role in plant development and survival.  

Non-invasive brain stimulation in research and therapy

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are of great interest to researchers as well as clinicians. Through modulating brain activity in a non-invasive way, they offer a promising tool to study neural mechanisms and cognitive processes in healthy individuals. Furthermore, non-invasive brain stimulation can be used in neuropsychological or psychiatric rehabilitation and treatment, for example, for neurodevelopmental disorders or following strokes. In research as well as practice, however, the most efficient way of applying non-invasive brain stimulation is still widely discussed, meaning the field is actively evolving.

This Collection welcomes work using non-invasive brain stimulation to study cognitive and neural functioning of the healthy brain, as well as the potential use of non-invasive brain stimulation in therapy and rehabilitation.