Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Pigmentation in Health and Disease

Skin pigmentation is regulated by coordinated molecular and cellular processes, including melanocyte differentiation, melanin synthesis, and intercellular communication within the skin. These processes are controlled by key signaling pathways, transcriptional networks, and dynamic interactions between melanocytes and neighboring cells such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and immune cells. Increasing evidence indicates that melanocyte function is highly context-dependent and influenced by both intrinsic regulatory programs and extrinsic cues from the local tissue environment. Disruption of these interactions can lead to a broad spectrum of pigmentary disorders, including hypopigmentation (e.g., vitiligo, albinism) and hyperpigmentation (e.g., melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation). However, how these regulatory layers integrate to control melanocyte fate and disease remains incompletely understood.

The goal of this Special Issue is to advance the understanding of pigmentation biology by focusing on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate melanocyte function in both physiological and pathological contexts. We aim to elucidate how signaling pathways, gene regulatory networks, and interactions with surrounding cells-including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and immune cells-collectively shape melanocyte behavior, including differentiation, function, and plasticity. Particular emphasis will be placed on how dysregulation of these processes contributes to a wide range of pigmentary disorders, spanning both hypopigmented and hyperpigmented conditions. This Special Issue also seeks to integrate emerging approaches, such as single-cell and spatial analyses, to better define melanocyte states and their dynamic responses within tissue environments. By bridging molecular mechanisms with disease phenotypes, this collection aims to identify key pathways and potential therapeutic targets.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and short communications addressing the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pigmentation and pigmentary disorders. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: signaling pathways regulating melanocyte function; transcriptional and epigenetic regulation; melanocyte differentiation and plasticity; interactions between melanocytes and keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and immune cells; immune-mediated regulation of pigmentation; and molecular mechanisms underlying pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo, albinism, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Studies employing advanced methodologies, including omics approaches, single-cell analysis, and functional models, are encouraged. Submissions that provide mechanistic insights or link molecular findings to disease phenotypes and therapeutic strategies are particularly welcome.

Article types and fees

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

• Biomedical Science in Brief
• Case Report
• Editorial
• Letter to the Editor
• Opinion
• Original Research
• 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 Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Biomedical Science in Brief
• Case Report
• Editorial
• Letter to the Editor
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Review

Keywords: pigmentation, melanocyte biology, pigmentary disorders, signaling pathways, cellular interactions, immune regulation, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation