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The world is facing the challenges from and burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases; however, the developing nations of the world are more exposed to communicable diseases due to socio-economic reasons. The significant size of population in developing nation is affected by tuberculosis (TB), malaria, HIV, and other non-tropical diseases. The recent pandemic of Covid-19 is an example of how the severity of communicable diseases can affect the social, political, and economical infrastructure of the entire world.

Many of the communicable diseases like Covid-19 have an underlying inflammation process as a common denominator in the initial steps of their development. Thus, increasing the knowledge on this process is strategic to counteract the progress of the disease. The modelling of cellular mechanisms that involve the response of the immune system and the endothelium (which always plays a pivotal role in the development of inflammations) is an important aspect of the studies of the communicable diseases. The use of the new modeling tools made available by the new research field of molecular communications, bridging information and communications technology with medicine, pharmacology, and biology, are leading to the definition of new cellular communications model capable of capturing these interactions and thus offering a better understanding of the overall functioning of these mechanisms.

The growing area of molecular communication can play an interesting role in the better understanding of the communicable diseases and can lead to newer insights about these diseases. The molecular communication oriented development of analytical and simulation tools, statistical models, machine learning based algorithms and implementation of low-cost testing solution may lead to a healthier world and can contribute to United Nations sustainable development goals. This Special Issue titled “Understanding Communicable Diseases through the Lens of Molecular Communications” aims the researchers from diverse backgrounds ranging from communications technology, medicines, pharmacology, and biology come together and to contribute to the better understanding of communicable diseases. We specifically target the developing nations which unfortunately have conducive environments (like large population and poverty) for the spread of these diseases. In more detail, we are interested in contributions aiming at exploring the (eventual) connections of the spread of communicable diseases with hygienic and health conditions, quality and availability of food, water, and drugs, and exposure/proximity to waste depots. However, the CfP does not seek contributions able to model these connections at the macro-scale, but insight on how these factors may impact on the molecular communications phenomena underling the diffusion of communicable diseases.

To this end, we invite submissions on the following topics (but are not limited to):

• Modelling of cellular interactions for communicable diseases.
• Algorithms for molecular signal acquisition, detection, and processing.
• Trafficking and/or triggering of cellular pathways in communicable disease.
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence-based models for communicable diseases.
• Data driven statistical modelling of spread, treatment, and long-term effects of the diseases.
• Analysis of cellular mechanisms highlighting the connections between living conditions in developing countries and widespread of communicable diseases. Emerging technologies for infection therapy and diagnostics, eventually highlighting potential opportunities available only in developing countries. Sensing methods and sensor design for communicable diseases, eventually highlighting potential opportunities available only in developing countries.
• Novel approaches to build datasets in the molecular communications field for investigating connections between living conditions in developing countries and spread of communicable disease.
• Hardware implementation, prototypes development for detection of communicable diseases.

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should submit their manuscripts following the IEEE TMBMC guidelines. Authors should submit a manuscript trough Manuscript Central.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 May 2024
First Notification: 15 July 2024
Acceptance Notification: 15 September 2024
Final Manuscript Due: 15 October 2024
Publication Date: December 2024

Guest Editors

Prabhat Sharma
Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India

Mauro Femminella
University of Perugia/CNIT, Italy

Sudhir Kumar
Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India