Transcriptional Repressor Networks in Stem Cell Fate, Health, and Disease

Transcriptional repressor networks are essential gatekeepers of cellular identity, coordinating stem cell fate by actively silencing lineage-specific genes until the right developmental cue arrives. These networks rely on the dynamic recruitment of chromatin-modifying co-repressor complexes, including histone deacetylases, demethylases, and methyltransferases, in some cases organized through biomolecular condensate formation, to shape the epigenetic landscape governing self-renewal and differentiation. Well-characterized examples such as REST/NRSF illustrate how disruption of these silencing circuits contributes to pathological states, from neurodevelopmental disorders to glioblastoma, yet the broader molecular logic connecting repressor network remodelling to stem cell fate decisions remains incompletely understood.This Research Topic aims to gather experimental studies and reviews that advance our understanding of transcriptional repressor networks and epigenetic silencing mechanisms in stem cell biology and disease. We welcome multidisciplinary contributions utilizing molecular biology, biochemistry, functional genomics, and advanced imaging to dissect how these repressor complexes form, function, and coordinate stem cell self-renewal and lineage commitment. Studies highlighting the translational targeting of these networks, including nanoparticle-based delivery systems in cancer stem cell models, are particularly encouraged.Areas to be covered may include, but are not limited to:Molecular mechanisms of transcriptional repressor complex recruitment and assembly (e.g., REST/CoREST, PRC2, NuRD)Chromatin-remodeling dynamics and epigenetic silencing pathways during stem cell self-renewal and differentiationPhase separation and condensate formation in transcriptional repressor complex assemblyFeedback loops involving microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and transcription factors in stem/progenitor cell fate determinationTranscriptional repressor network dysregulation in neural stem/progenitor cells in neurodevelopmental disease, and in cardiac or hematopoietic progenitor populations in cardiovascular and immunological diseaseAberrant transcriptional silencing and epigenetic reprogramming in cancer stem cells and tumor-initiating populationsTranslational strategies and delivery systems targeting transcriptional repressor complexes in stem and progenitor cell contexts Topic editors: Dianbao Zhang, Nicole Francis Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84239/transcriptional-repressor-networks-in-stem-cell-fate-health-and-disease