Anti-Cancer Immune Boosters, Immunotherapeutic Combinations and Novel Immunomodulatory Pathways
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 3479
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The treatment landscape for advanced-stage cancer was revolutionized when immune checkpoint inhibitors were found to produce impressive antitumor effects and improve survival in several malignancies, including melanoma, lung and pancreatic cancer. Despite the remarkable success of cancer immunotherapies, a significant percentage of patients be inherently resistant or develop resistance to immune-checkpoint inhibitors, which will make it possible for tumor cells to escape the immune attack. At this point, the mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy are incompletely understood. Currently, several clinical trials seek to assess the efficacy of combination therapy, including chemoradiotherapy, targeted agents, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer, and soluble immune modulators of the tumor microenvironment (TME), to increase the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic strategies in various cancer types. However, these combinatorial approaches still provide limited benefit to the patients, which are mainly due to the poor understanding of reciprocal interactions between tumor cells and multi-faceted stroma, including cancer‐associated fibroblasts, various immune cells, extracellular matrix molecules, nerve fibers, and neurotrophic factors. By using novel innovative and correct models, we could better understand how the contents of TME interplay and affect cancer cells, which could explain the aggression and invasiveness of cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop and evaluate various effective in vitro (co-cultures, ex vivo, and organoids) models and next-generation in vivo (orthotopic and heterotopic) preclinical models to better understand the immune‐suppressive microenvironment and develop novel therapeutics and combinatorial treatment strategies, which might offer more rational clinical treatment modalities. Finally, though hundreds of immunotherapy combinations have been tested, we should not ignore the interference of off-label drugs, diet, and supplements consumed by the patients. For example, it has been shown that modulating the gut microbiome plays a big role in the outcome of immunotherapy. For this reason, this volume is meant to assemble original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications to provide a deep understanding and valuable insight into how diverse classes of chemo, immunotherapeutics, and combinations contribute to the steady progression of the immunotherapy field.
Dr. Sengottuvelan Murugan
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- chemo-immuno therapeutic combinations
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- combinatorial approaches
- next-generation ex vivo and in vivo preclinical models
- tumor microenvironment (TME)
- natural and synthetic anti-cancer immune boosters
- immune‐suppressive microenvironment
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