Vast emerging evidences are addressing the crosstalk between base modifications and stem cell functions such as lineage commitment, specification, self-renewal, quiescence, proliferation, and differentiation. The base modifications dynamically occur in DNA and RNA, including 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and its oxidative derivatives (5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5-fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5-caC)) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in DNA, 5-mC and m6A in mRNA; and modifications in other noncoding RNAs. The timely and spatially dynamic base modifications ensure quiescence, fate specification, proliferation, or differentiation in naturally programmed tracks during the life process.

In recent decade, significant progress has been made in appreciation of the link between aberrant base modifications in stem cells and diseases, like cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, and so on. These achievements are inspiring scientists to further uncover the epigenetic mechanisms for stem cell development and to dissect pathogenesis of the multiple diseases conferred by development aberration of the stem cells. This special issue will focus on the research advances in epigenetic regulation of stem cell pluripotency and multipotency and the diseases.

We invite investigators in the field of epigenetics in stem cells and the stem cells-related diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac diseases, hematological diseases, and cancers to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that focus on addressing the role of nucleic acid modifications in the development of stem cell and genesis of disorders.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Novel techniques/methodologies for detection of nucleic acid modifications in stem cells
• Epigenetic regulation of open chromatin in stem cells
• Epigenetic basis of stem cell aging
• Influence of metabolic pathways on epigenetic alteration associated with lineage commitment, specification, and self-renewal
• Effects of DNA and/or RNA modifications on self-renewal, quiescence, activation of quiescence, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells including embryonic stem cells and any specialized stem cells like neural stem cell, cardiac stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, satellite stem cells, iPSC, and so on
• Epigenetically incurred aberrant development of stem cells and the caused diseases including neurological disorders, hematological diseases, and cancers
• Importance and significance of nucleic acid modifications as regulators in the development and diseases
• Discovery of the epigenetic modifiers for stem cell therapy by using genetic analysis, bioinformatics, and biological tools