Recent Advances in Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 20
Special Issue Editor
Interests: mesothelioma; immunotherapy; tumor microenvironment; biomarkers; tumor heterogeneity
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure, with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Traditional therapies, like chemotherapy and surgery, offer modest survival benefits, prompting growing interest in immunotherapy as a promising alternative. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 antibodies, have demonstrated improved outcomes in selected patients and are now part of the standard of care for unresectable MPM. However, the response rate remains variable, and predictive biomarkers are not yet well defined. Tumor heterogeneity, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and low mutational burden present major challenges. Recent research focuses on combining ICIs with other modalities, such as chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic agents, or novel targets like mesothelin and tumor-associated macrophages. The goal is to enhance immune activation, overcome resistance mechanisms, and identify robust biomarkers with which to guide personalized therapy. The continued exploration of MPM immunobiology is critical to improving outcomes and expanding durable treatment responses.
Topics
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
- Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).
- EMT (epithelial–mesenchymal transition) and immunosuppression.
- BAP1, CDKN2A, and other genetic drivers.
- Multi-omics and systems biology approaches.
- Neoantigen prediction and cancer vaccines.
- Adoptive cell therapies.
- Clinical trials of immunotherapies in mesothelioma.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma.
- Bioinformatics and meta-analysis studies.
Dr. Licun Wu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- mesothelioma
- immunotherapy
- tumor microenvironment
- biomarkers
- tumor heterogeneity
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