Reproduction is essential for the perpetuation of any species. Reproductive disorders not only impede fertility but also affect the health perspectives of offspring. Recent data have demonstrated that many adult-onset diseases can be traced back to disruptions in early embryonic development or even during gametogenesis; consequently, the concept of the developmental origin of health and disease has been widely accepted. Therefore, research on the development, physiology, and pathophysiology of reproduction is of great importance.
Technological advances often drive breakthroughs in biology, and reproductive sciences are no exception. Over the last decade, many cutting-edge technologies have emerged, e.g., next-gen and 3rd-gen deep sequencing technologies, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, single-cell multi-omics, development of various organoid systems, etc., and these powerful technologies have led to numerous exciting discoveries on the etiology and the molecular mechanisms underlying various reproductive disorders.
This Special Issue will aim to showcase the latest research results from some of the most exciting research in reproductive biology and medicine.
The topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Neuroendocrine control of reproduction
- Multi-omics of reproductive organs and their pathology
- Organoid systems for studying human reproduction
- Sperm-egg interactions, cell signalling and fertilisation
- Pregnancy and placental physiology and pathophysiology
- Molecular mechanisms of early embryonic development
- Long-term safety of assisted reproductive technology (ART) with an emphasis on health perspectives of individuals born through the 2nd- (ICSI) and 3rd-generation (PGT) ARTs
- Epigenetic mechanisms of intra- or intergenerational transmission of disease phenotypes
- Genetics of infertility
- Novel concepts in contraception for both men and women
- Epidemiology of reproductive diseases and disorders
- Biomarkers for reproductive disorders that impact overall health
Editors for the Special Issue on reproductive health
Senior Editor Wei Yan, MD, PhD (The Lindquist Institute/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA)
eLife Senior Editor Wei Yan, MD, PhD (The Lindquist Institute/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA), will oversee the manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue, alongside:
eLife Reviewing Editors:
Jean-Ju Chung, Yale School of Medicine
Rajan Dighe, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Sang Jun Han, Baylor College of Medicine
T Rajendra Kumar, University of Colorado
Guest Editors:
Christophe Arnoult, University Grenoble-Alpes
Marisa Bartolomei, University of Pennsylvania
Hefeng Huang, Fudan University
Kate Lawrenson, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Isabelle Mansuy, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet)
Darryl Russell, University of Adelaide
Carlos Simon, University of Valencia and Carlos Simon Foundation
Hongmei Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Carmen Williams, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Jun Wu, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Ricardo Azziz, co-editor for this Special Issue has stepped down from his role as an editor at eLife, and so submissions will now be overseen by Wei Yan. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ricardo for all his work for eLife and on the Special Issue, and wish him all the best.
Image: Vivid Biology (CC BY 4.0)
Our new model for publishing
Papers submitted for this Special Issue will benefit from our new publishing process.
In the new process we will no longer make accept/reject decisions at the end of the peer-review process; rather, all papers that have been peer-reviewed will be published on the eLife website as Reviewed Preprints, accompanied by an eLife assessment and public reviews. The authors will also be able to include a response to the assessment and reviews.
Article types
Submissions of Research Articles, Short Reports, Tools and Resources, and Research Advances are welcomed to the Special Issue. A select number of Review Articles will be commissioned by the editors.
Details about eLife's article types are available here.
Peer review
eLife works to improve the process of peer review so that it more effectively conveys the assessment of expert reviewers to authors, readers and other interested parties. We only peer review preprints, and are creating a system in which the outputs of peer review are the primary way research is assessed, rather than journal title. This approach brings together the immediacy and openness of a preprint with the scrutiny offered by peer review.
More details about eLife’s peer-review process are available here.
Submit to the Special Issue
Authors interested in being part of this Special Issue can submit their manuscripts via eLife’s submission system.
All authors should include a cover letter in their submission, highlighting that the paper is for consideration in this Special Issue and suggesting editors from the list above.
Reviewed Preprints featuring in the Special Issue will be online within a few weeks of the review process being completed.
Following feedback from our community, we have extended the deadline for submission to this Special Issue until January 12, 2024.
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