Disease Models & Mechanisms: call for papers

https://journals.biologists.com/dmm/pages/paediatric

Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue - Paediatric Genetic Diseases: Models, Mechanisms and Therapies. This issue will be coordinated by DMM Editors James Amatruda (Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA, USA) and Elaine Mardis (Nationwide Children's Hospital, OH, USA), alongside Guest Editor Ross Cagan (University of Glasgow - Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, UK).

The deadline for submitting articles is 2 November 2026*.

Many paediatric diseases have overlapping genetic origins, such as cancer, developmental disorders, overgrowth syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders. These complex diseases are largely driven by genetic variation, including germline variants, somatic mosaicism, epigenetic alterations or structural variations. Although the depth of sequencing has rapidly advanced its capacity to identify the genetic alterations associated with these paediatric diseases, persistent challenges remain in understanding the significance of variants in disease aetiology, pathology, progression and therapy. Innovative in vitro, in silico and in vivo models are critical to recapitulate the phenotypic effects of these genetic perturbations and bridge the gap between diagnosis and treatment. 

In this DMM special issue, we welcome Research Articles that use a broad range of disease models and approaches to dissect the mechanistic aberrations of paediatric genetic diseases, identify novel drug targets and test emerging therapeutic approaches to ultimately foster meaningful clinical progress for patients. We also encourage Resources & Methods submissions that present novel and validated model systems, technical approaches, tools and methodologies that advance our research capabilities for paediatric genetic disease. 

Submissions should describe original research in the form of a Research Article or Resources & Methods article**. Please read the author guidelines for information on preparing a manuscript for DMM, and submit your manuscript via our online submission system.

Please highlight that your submission is to be considered for the special issue in your cover letter. Prospective authors are welcome to send presubmission enquiries, or direct any queries, to dmmreviews@biologists.com.

The special issue is scheduled for publication in summer 2027, although note that our continuous publication model means that DMM will publish your article as soon as it is accepted; you will not have to wait for the rest of the issue to be ready. The special issue will be widely promoted online and at key global conferences, guaranteeing maximum exposure for your work.

Submit your paper: https://journals.biologists.com/dmm/pages/submit-manuscript