Mistletoe is a plant with a wide range of biologically active components, including lectins, viscotoxins, glycoproteins, and triterpenes. Over the past decade, in vitro research programmes have brought new insights, highlighting cytotoxic activity and specific immunological mechanisms including induction of apoptosis, necrosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, and an impact on both innate and adaptive immune compartments. This laboratory-based research is complemented by a range of clinical studies, from cohorts to randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews.

Mistletoe extracts are of particular interest in cancer treatment but are prescribed in traditional European naturopathic and anthroposophic medicine for a much wider range of indications, including: hypertension, coronary heart disease, and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Recent basic research has added antidiabetic effects of Viscum album to this list.

In central Europe, mistletoe therapy, even in an era of new chemotherapeutic and targeted therapies, is still the most commonly prescribed cancer treatment. Nevertheless, there is a gap between its wide spread use and the evidence of impact on long-term outcomes. Even in relation to quality of life and reduction of adverse effects of chemotherapy, there remains some uncertainty about the magnitude of benefit when administered alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We invite authors to submit original research and systematic review papers. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• New formulations
• Biochemistry
• Mistletoe lectins and viscotoxins
• Triterpenes antiangiogenetic mechanisms
• Immunology
• Chronobiological application in daily clinical use
• Cancer-related fatigue
• Health-related quality of life
• Clinical trials
• Mistletoe as a component in whole system research
• Outcome research
• Meta-analysis
• Indications other than cancer

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/author/submit/journals/ecam/mistl/ according to the following timetable: