A special issue on cell signaling, disease, and stem cells

Abstract

As the basic unit of life, cells utilize signaling pathways to receive inputs from the environment and translate such information into appropriate cellular behaviors and responses. Cell signaling is also pivotal for multi-cellular organisms such as mammals, as cells need to communicate extensively among each other and with the environment in order to orchestrate appropriate actions, which are in turn integrated at the system level for the proper functioning and well-being of the organism. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell signaling constitutes a fundamental quest of today's life science research. Not surprisingly, dysregulation of cell signaling causes many diseases such as cancer, and in such cases, a thorough understanding of the nature of cell signaling under disease states would provide an important basis to the efforts of developing novel therapeutic strategies. In this context, we are pleased to present this 2012 Cell Research Special Issue focusing on “Cell signaling, disease, and stem cells”.