Stem Cell Lineage Analysis

Stem cells are uniquely capable of self-renewal and differentiation into diverse cell types, making them fundamental for tissue development, homeostasis, and regeneration. Understanding how stem cells give rise to specialized lineages remains a central question in developmental and regenerative biology. Lineage analysis, tracing the developmental trajectory and fate of individual stem cells and their progeny, provides crucial insights into the mechanisms governing cell fate specification, tissue organization, and the onset of diseases such as cancer. With advancements in molecular, imaging, and computational tools, lineage analysis has entered a new era of resolution and scale, enabling the reconstruction of developmental hierarchies and cell dynamics in unprecedented detail.

This Research Topic aims to bring together the latest research, techniques, and conceptual advances in stem cell lineage analysis across developmental, adult, and disease contexts. We welcome studies employing experimental innovations and integrative approaches to decipher lineage relationships, fate decisions, and the regulation of stem cell behavior in living systems.

Topics of interest might include:

• Advances in single-cell and molecular barcoding techniques for lineage tracing

• Insights into stem cell dynamics during development and tissue regeneration

• Lineage infidelity and aberrant differentiation in disease states, including cancer

• Integration of lineage analysis with multi-omics and spatial profiling approaches

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... 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
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: lineage analysis, stem cells, lineage tracing, stem cell fate decisions, cell fate specification, tissue regeneration, stem cell differentiation, self-renewal, clonal tracking, live imaging of stem cells, multi-omics lineage analysus, lineage mapping

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.