Spatial Biology of Disease: From Cellular Architecture and Molecular Organization to Therapeutic Discovery

Spatial biology is transforming biomedical research by enabling the investigation of molecular composition, cellular organization and tissue microenvironments within their spatial context. Advances in spatial transcriptomics, spatial genomics, spatial proteomics, spatial metabolomics, multiplex imaging, single-cell technologies and incorporation of all this techniques with artificial intelligence are providing new opportunities to understand how cells interact and how tissue architecture influences disease development and progression. These approaches can reveal cellular heterogeneity, molecular gradients, disease-associated cellular neighborhoods and interactions that may be overlooked by conventional bulk analyses. Integrating spatially resolved measurements with single-cell omics, histopathology, imaging and computational biology offers a more comprehensive understanding of tissue function in health and disease. Spatial biology therefore represents an important interdisciplinary frontier connecting molecular discovery, cellular mechanisms and translational biomedical research.

Despite rapid technological progress, important challenges remain in interpreting complex spatial datasets, integrating multiple molecular layers, identifying biologically meaningful cellular interactions and translating spatial patterns into clinically relevant insights. This Collection Issue aims to bring together recent advances demonstrating how spatially resolved biological information can improve our understanding of disease mechanisms, tissue organization, cellular heterogeneity, disease progression and therapeutic response. It will encourage integration of spatial omics with single-cell analysis, computational modelling, digital pathology, multiplex imaging and functional or experimental validation. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies that connect spatial molecular signatures with disease phenotypes, candidate biomarkers, therapeutic targets, treatment resistance and precision medicine. By bringing together researchers in molecular and cellular biology, pathology, genomics, bioinformatics, imaging, artificial intelligence and translational medicine, the Collection Issue will promote interdisciplinary approaches and highlight emerging methods, biological discoveries and translational opportunities in spatially resolved disease research.

We welcome original research articles, reviews and other manuscript types permitted by the journal that advance spatial biology in biomedical research. Relevant topics include spatial transcriptomics and genomics; spatial proteomics and metabolomics; single-cell and spatial multi-omics; tissue and cellular architecture; cell-cell communication and cellular neighborhoods; tumor microenvironment and spatial immunology; neurobiology, cancer biology, inflammation, infectious diseases, and metabolic or cardiovascular disorders; spatial biomarkers; multiplex imaging and digital pathology; spatial bioinformatics, computational modelling and artificial intelligence; and spatially informed therapeutic discovery, treatment response, and resistance. Studies integrating spatial data with single-cell omics, histopathology, functional experiments, or clinical and translational evidence are particularly encouraged. Methodological contributions, analytical frameworks, and validation studies that provide meaningful biological or biomedical insights are also welcome. Submissions should clearly describe their methodological approach and demonstrate the relevance of their findings to disease biology or experimental and translational medicine.

Article types and fees

This Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Issue description:

• Brief Communication
• Commentary
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Issue description:

• Brief Communication
• Commentary
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Spatial biology, spatial transcriptomics, spatial multi-omics, tissue microenvironment, cellular architecture, cell-cell communication, spatial proteomics, digital pathology, disease mechanisms, precision medicine, artificial intelligence, therapeutic discovery