New Findings in Targeting Cancer Proteins (Second Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous one, entitled ‘New Findings in Targeting Cancer Proteins’.

Advancements in cancer cell molecular profiling, especially at the single-cell level, are a source of valuable insights into the landscape of alterations in cancer genomics, genetics, and proteomics, providing new pathogenic mechanisms and a comprehensive panel of new targets for developing tumor-tailored therapies. In this context and given their role in the development and progression of cancer, both Tumor-Associated Antigens and Tumor-Specific Antigens are becoming increasingly relevant targets for therapy. In cancer, protein alterations can occur at various levels, including abnormal protein expression, post-translational modifications, and dysregulated protein–protein interactions. Many proteins involved in crucial cellular functions, such as cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, have been identified as significant players in tumorigenesis. It is possible to disrupt specific cancer-related processes and inhibit tumor growth by targeting these proteins.

Historically, protein targets primarily involve oncogenic proteins, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF). Targeted therapies directed against these oncogenic proteins have shown remarkable success in specific cancer types. Moreover, the dysregulated activation of pathways involving oncoproteins contributes to tumor cell survival, proliferation, and resistance to treatment. Inhibitors targeting key proteins within these pathways, such as PI3K, AKT, and MEK, have demonstrated clinical efficacy in certain malignancies, including breast, colorectal, and melanoma cancers.

In recent years, the discovery of immune checkpoint proteins, such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), which are not located on tumor cells, have revolutionized cancer treatment through immunotherapy, showing the importance of tackling the tumor microenvironment.

Recent advances in targeting cancer proteins have also highlighted the crucial role of cellular metabolism in supporting tumor growth and survival. Cancer cells often rewire their metabolic pathways—such as glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and lipid metabolism—to meet their elevated energy and biosynthesis demands. Targeting these metabolic dependencies offers a promising therapeutic avenue, especially when combined with inhibitors of oncogenic signaling pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that metabolic enzymes can act as both regulators and effectors of cancer-driving proteins, making them attractive targets for precision therapy.

Despite the progress in targeting proteins for cancer therapy, several challenges remain, including acquired resistance, off-target side effects, target heterogeneity, and the activation of alternative pathways to escape drug inhibition.

In the Special Issue ‘New Findings in Targeting Cancer Proteins (Second Edition), we aim to collect original articles and reviews presenting data on the newest findings in the field of protein-targeted cancer therapy, which currently holds the best promise for developing more effective and personalized treatment approaches.

Dr. Maristella Maggi
Dr. Claudia Scotti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• monoclonal antibodies
• protein target
• immunotherapy
• signaling blockade
• targeted therapy