Mitochondrial Metabolism in Cancer Immune Responses
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2026 | Viewed by 1219
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mitochondria; mitochondrial dynamics; metastasis; metabolism; mitochondrial motility
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mitochondria play a central role in cancer metabolism, not only by supporting tumor growth through bioenergetic and biosynthetic pathways but also by shaping immune responses within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Beyond their traditional bioenergetic functions, emerging evidence suggests that mitochondria regulate key aspects of immune cell activation, differentiation, and persistence, influencing the delicate balance between anti-tumor immunity, immune evasion, and response to cancer therapies.
Cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to sustain rapid growth, often exploiting mitochondrial pathways to evade immune surveillance. Recent research has highlighted the profound impact of mitochondrial metabolism on immune cell function. Within the TME, mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming is crucial for the anti-tumor activity of immune cells, including T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and M1 macrophages. These immune cells adapt their metabolism under TME stress conditions, which is essential for effective anti-tumor immunity. Additionally, mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), such as mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and extracellular ATP, play key roles in modulating immune responses.
Despite significant advances, many aspects of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer immune responses remain unclear.
This Special Issue aims to explore the intricate and dynamic roles of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer immunology. By bringing together experts in cancer metabolism, immunology, and mitochondrial biology, we seek to provide novel insights into targeting mitochondrial pathways to enhance anti-tumor immunity. We hope this collection will deepen our understanding and pave the way for innovative therapeutic approaches.
We look forward to your contributions.
Dr. Jae Ho Seo
Dr. Kiwon Lee
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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.
Keywords
- mitochondria
- cancer metabolism
- immune response
- tumor microenvironment (TME)
- immunometabolism
- mitochondrial reprogramming
- reactive oxygen species (ROS)
- cancer immunotherapy
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