Dendritic Cells and Their Role in Tumor Immunity

Dear Colleagues, 

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells that have a high capacity to activate T cells. Due to these capabilities, DCs have been postulated as cellular vaccines for cancer. Indeed, a DC-based vaccine for advanced prostate cancer was approved for human use as a personalized therapeutic approach to fight this disease. Preclinical studies and clinical trials have also evaluated the capacity of DCs as immunotherapeutic reagents for different types of cancer. To that end, DCs have been loaded with antigen in different ways (i.e., tumor lysates, antigenic peptides, tumor RNA), and several strategies to activate these cells before administration to experimental animals or patients have been investigated. On the other hand, DCs have been shown to be constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of many tumors. The tumor can subvert the function of these cells, either decreasing their antigen presentation capacity or inducing a tolerogenic DC profile that will be conducive to tumor immunoescape. Strategies to either deplete the cells from the TME or to modify their pro-tumor profile have been investigated. It has been recognized that there are different subsets of DCs with different properties which need to be account for successful therapeutic approaches.

I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Biology entitled: “Dendritic Cells and Their Role in Tumor Immunity”. Biology publishes reviews, research papers, and communications in all areas of biology and at the interface of related disciplines.

The aim of the Special Issue is to present up-to-date information on the field of DC immunology, focusing both on the role of these cells as personalized therapeutic reagents and on their participation in tumor growth and development.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• DC-based antitumor vaccines;
• DC activation for vaccination purposes;
• In vivo targeting of DCs in tumor settings;
• Role of DC subsets in tumor growth and development;
• Clinical trials studies using DCs for antitumor therapies;
• New DC models to investigate their participation in tumor immunity;
• Immunometabolism of DCs in the context of cancer.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fabian Benencia
Guest Editor

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• dendritic cells
• tumor microenvironment
• dendritic cell vaccines
• cancer
• dendritic cell subsets
• clinical trials
• animal models
• targeted therapies