Multi-dimensional Research on Pediatric Diseases through Multi-omics Bioinformatics Analysis: Emphasis on Functional Validation

The pathogenesis of pediatric diseases arises from complex interactions among genetic, environmental, and immunological factors—relationships that single-omics or purely computational analyses alone cannot fully elucidate. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and multi-omics technologies (such as genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have transformed our ability to investigate disease complexity. However, translational impact requires moving beyond data integration and prediction towards experimental confirmation of bioinformatic findings.

This Research Topic aims to transcend descriptive or association-only studies by requiring both the generation of novel, high-quality omics data and rigorous functional validation of candidate findings. Our objective is to build robust molecular regulatory networks for pediatric diseases by integrating multi-omics datasets, environmental exposure data, and clinical phenotypes—while ensuring that bioinformatic discoveries are experimentally validated in relevant in vitro, in vivo, or ex vivo systems. This integrative approach will accelerate the identification of reliable disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets, including evaluation of innovative interventions such as herbal medicines, paving the way for precise classification, early intervention, and personalized treatment in pediatric care.

We encourage submissions that meet the following mandatory criteria:
• Generation of new multi-omics datasets from pediatric disease cohorts or experimental models
and
• Functional validation of bioinformatics discoveries (e.g., genetic manipulation, pharmacological interventions, mechanistic studies in cell, animal, or organoid models, or translational clinical validation).

Scope of welcomed submissions includes, but is not limited to:
• Elucidation of genetic and epigenetic networks in pediatric diseases with both computational and experimental validation
• Microbiome–immune system interactions in pediatric chronic diseases, verified through functional studies
• Investigation of tumor heterogeneity in pediatric cancers using single-cell and spatial multi-omics, with downstream biological validation
• Longitudinal, multi-omics mapping during critical pediatric developmental periods, coupled with mechanistic experimentation
• Discovery and functional testing of non-invasive, multi-omics biomarkers for rare and neurological pediatric diseases
• Development of integrative computational algorithms, validated through application to novel experimental datasets
• Evaluation of pediatric disease therapies with comprehensive multi-omics data and corroborating functional assays

Only manuscripts that combine robust bioinformatic analysis of newly generated data with subsequent functional experimental validation will be considered.

Submissions can take the form of original research articles, comprehensive reviews with new experimental data, and methodological advances with experimental application and verification.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

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 Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Multi-omics Bioinformatics Analysis, Pediatric Diseases, Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs, Gut microbiome

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.