Ongoing Special Issues at JCGB
Explore the living portfolio of themed collections advancing cancer genetics and biomarker science, and discover how you can participate.
Curating Conversations that Change Oncology
Special issues at the Journal of Cancer Genetics and Biomarkers (JCGB) bring together expert guest editors, leading researchers, and emerging innovators to accelerate breakthroughs in precision oncology. Each collection is designed to capture the state of the art, identify translational gaps, and catalyse new collaborations across laboratories, clinics, and health systems. This page spotlights ongoing and upcoming special issues, providing timelines, participation pathways, and the support JCGB offers to authors, reviewers, and guest editors.
Special issues follow a structured lifecycle to ensure relevance, quality, and rapid dissemination:
Guest editors submit proposals outlining theme, rationale, contributor strategy, and diversity commitments. Approved topics align with JCGB’s scope and the strategic priorities of the precision oncology community.
JCGB coordinates global announcements, targeted outreach, webinars, and social campaigns. Guest editors invite established leaders while mentorship pathways engage early-career researchers.
Manuscripts are submitted through the JCGB portal, with peer review led by guest editors and overseen by JCGB section editors to maintain impartiality, rigor, and turnaround targets.
Accepted articles move into fast-track production, culminating in a coordinated launch featuring editorials, visual assets, podcasts, and conference spotlights.
Post-publication analytics, citation tracking, and impact case studies demonstrate how special issue research influences clinical practice, policy, and future funding calls.
1. Spatial Multi-Omics in Tumor Ecosystems
Guest Editors: Dr. Hana Li (Shanghai Institute for Cancer Research), Dr. Ethan Brooks (Mayo Clinic), Dr. Laila Ahmed (Cape Town Precision Oncology Centre)
Focus: Integrating spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and imaging mass cytometry to decode microenvironmental heterogeneity and immune architecture.
Why now? Spatial technologies are revealing new therapeutic vulnerabilities and resistance niches. This collection seeks protocols, analytical frameworks, and translational studies that move beyond descriptive atlases to actionable insights.
- Submission window: 1 September 2024 – 31 January 2025
- First decisions targeted within 24 days
- Invited article types: original research, benchmark datasets, review syntheses, translational case studies
Call to action: Submit through the JCGB portal and select “Spatial Multi-Omics Special Issue” in the dropdown, or contact [email protected] with preliminary abstracts.
2. Liquid Biopsy for Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Surveillance
Guest Editors: Prof. Giulia Romano (Istituto Tumori Milano), Dr. Samuel Peters (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), Dr. Nshuti Kamara (University of Rwanda)
Focus: Innovations in ctDNA, cfRNA, circulating tumour cells, and exosomal markers enabling MRD detection across solid and hematologic malignancies.
Scope highlights: Analytical sensitivity in low-shedding tumours, assay harmonisation, AI-assisted signal extraction, clinical utility in adjuvant decision-making, health economic evaluations.
- Submission window: 15 October 2024 – 30 April 2025
- Fast-track path available for trial correlative studies with regulatory implications
- Author support: dedicated statistical review for biomarker performance metrics
Call to action: Review detailed instructions on the JCGB Call for Papers page.
3. AI-Augmented Diagnostics in Molecular Oncology
Guest Editors: Dr. Amina Idris (Imperial College London), Dr. Luca Neri (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Dr. Surbhi Menon (Tata Memorial Centre)
Focus: Explainable AI for histopathology, radiogenomics, molecular risk scoring, and clinical decision support.
Key questions: How do we validate algorithms across demographically diverse cohorts? What governance frameworks ensure ethical deployment? How can AI elevate biomarker discovery from noisy, multi-modal datasets?
- Submission deadline: 31 May 2025
- Bonus features: interactive code repositories hosted with accepted articles
- Reviewer pool includes AI ethicists, computational scientists, pathologists, and oncologists
Call to action: Provide a pre-submission inquiry to [email protected] if you require clarification on data privacy or reproducibility expectations.
4. Genomics for Cancer Care in Indigenous Communities
Featuring community-driven research from Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, the Amazon Basin, and the Pacific Islands. Emphasis on data sovereignty, culturally anchored consent models, and collaborative knowledge translation. Launch scheduled for March 2025 with accompanying virtual symposium.
5. Neoantigen Science and Personalized Vaccines
Combining immunopeptidomics, computational prediction, and early-phase clinical trials. Highlighting scalable manufacturing, regulatory considerations, and real-world deployment frameworks.
6. Pediatric Precision Oncology Frontiers
Capturing the unique biology of childhood cancers, adaptive trial models, survivorship biomarkers, and family-centred ethics. Launch includes a toolkit for integrating genomic reports into pediatric oncology clinics.
- Amplified Visibility: Dedicated marketing campaigns, featured editorials, media partnerships, and inclusion in JCGB’s “Spotlight on Research Excellence” series.
- Accelerated Review: Guest editors commit to first decisions within 24–30 days supported by JCGB’s editorial coordinators.
- Networking Opportunities: Contributors are invited to live webinars, roundtables, and post-publication panels with peer authors, funding bodies, and policy stakeholders.
- Impact Analytics: Receive quarterly engagement dashboards detailing downloads, citations, altmetrics, and geographic reach.
- Access to Waivers: Manuscripts accepted within special issues qualify for priority review of APC waiver requests via the JCGB Waiver Program 2025.
- Editorial Toolkit: Customised reviewer templates, conflict management protocols, and communication scripts.
- Project Management: JCGB staff track submissions, reminders, and production milestones to maintain schedule discipline.
- Analytics & Reporting: Mid-cycle updates on submission volume, geographic diversity, review turnaround, and acceptance rates.
- Recognition: Guest editor biographies highlighted on the special issue landing page, social media spotlights, and certificates summarising editorial contributions.
Authors
Choose the special issue theme that aligns with your findings, prepare your manuscript following the JCGB instructions, and submit via the ManuscriptZone portal. Note the special issue in your cover letter and select it from the submission dropdown when available.
Reviewers
Join the reviewer pool to provide domain-specific feedback. Visit the Reviewer Register page, indicating special issue themes of interest. Reviewers receive certificates, APC credits, and eligibility for JCGB Reviewer Excellence Awards.
Guest Editors & Sponsors
Propose new themes or collaborate on upcoming collections by submitting a structured pitch. Explore guidelines at the Proposing a Special Issue page.
Can I submit an abstract before a full manuscript?
Yes. Send a 300-word abstract to [email protected] with the special issue title in the subject line. Guest editors provide suitability feedback within five business days.
What if my manuscript spans multiple themes?
Indicate all relevant special issues in your cover letter. JCGB editors will confer with guest editors to determine the best fit or propose cross-listing.
Are negative results or replication studies welcome?
Absolutely, provided they meet methodological standards and offer insight into biomarker performance, assay limitations, or therapeutic generalizability.
Do special issue articles undergo the same peer review?
Yes. Special issue submissions follow double-checked peer review with the added perspective of theme-specific experts. Editorial independence and ethical oversight remain uncompromised.
- Subscribe to JCGB updates to receive quarterly bulletins summarising new special issues, webinar invitations, and analytics highlights.
- Follow JCGB on professional networks for real-time calls, guest editor spotlights, and author Q&A sessions.
- Visit the Call for Papers page regularly for updates on deadlines and waiver eligibility.
Join a JCGB Special Issue Today
Whether you are contributing research, reviewing cutting-edge science, or leading a thematic collection, JCGB provides the infrastructure and community to amplify your impact.
Last updated: September 2025. Special issue details are subject to change as guest editors refine recruitment strategies or timelines. Visit this page frequently for the latest information.
