cancers-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Tumor Microenvironment Biomarkers: Bridging Immunology and Metastasis

A Special Issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) belonging to the section "Cancer Biomarkers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1282

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Interests: cancer biology; immunotherapy; tumor microenvironment; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Interests: cancer biology; immunotherapy; tumor microenvironment; drug delivery; translational biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The complex and dynamic ecosystem of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is now recognized as a central regulator of cancer progression, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis. Composed of diverse cellular components—including immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and endothelial cells—and non-cellular elements such as hypoxia and extracellular matrix, the TME creates a supportive niche for tumor survival and spread. A critical challenge in modern oncology is to decode these intricate interactions and translate them into actionable biomarkers and therapeutic targets, effectively bridging our understanding of immunology with the mechanisms of metastatic dissemination.

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research that identifies and validates biomarkers within the TME, with a focus on their dual role in modulating immune responses and driving metastatic processes. We invite submissions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and translational studies that explore novel cellular and molecular biomarkers, advanced imaging and spatial profiling technologies, and integrative omics approaches. Contributions that elucidate how TME-derived biomarkers can predict therapeutic response, immune evasion, and metastatic potential are particularly encouraged.

By fostering a multidisciplinary dialogue, this collection seeks to advance the development of precision oncology strategies that target the TME, with the ultimate goal of overcoming drug resistance and preventing metastasis to improve long-term patient outcomes.

Dr. Abdel Kareem Azab
Guest Editor

Dr. Tithi Bhattacharyya
Guest Editor Assistant

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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

  • tumor microenvironment
  • molecular biomarkers
  • cancer progression
  • immunomodution
  • therapeutic targets

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 2573 KB  
Article
Compartment-Specific CD138 Expression Defines an Aggressive Breast Cancer Phenotype with Distinct Transcriptomic Features
by Kyoko Asai, Takahiro Hasebe, Masahiro Ohara, Masataka Hirasaki, Kazuo Matsuura, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Akihiko Osaki and Toshiaki Saeki
Cancers 2026, 18(10), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18101539 - 9 May 2026
Viewed by 872
Abstract
Background/Objectives: CD138 (syndecan-1) is a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan involved in cell–matrix interactions and growth factor signaling, and it has been implicated in tumor progression. However, the clinical significance of compartment-specific CD138 expression in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: CD138 (syndecan-1) is a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan involved in cell–matrix interactions and growth factor signaling, and it has been implicated in tumor progression. However, the clinical significance of compartment-specific CD138 expression in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the prognostic and transcriptomic features of compartment-specific CD138 expression in invasive breast cancer. Methods: We performed an integrated analysis of immunohistochemistry and RNA sequencing of 111 invasive ductal carcinoma specimens. Tumors were classified into four groups according to CD138 expression in the tumor and stromal compartments. Clinicopathological data and survival outcomes were obtained from medical records, and transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using RNA sequencing. Results: The tumor-positive/stroma-negative phenotype (Group 1) was associated with poorer recurrence-free survival than the other phenotypes. According to multivariable Cox regression analysis, Group 1 remained an independent prognostic factor after adjustment for age, lymph node status, and Ki-67 index (hazard ratio, 5.493; p = 0.0028). Group 1 was also associated with lymph node metastasis and HER2 expression. All brain metastases occurred in Group 1, although the number of events was low. Transcriptomic profiling identified the upregulation of small nucleolar RNAs in Group 1 tumors, with the enrichment of pathways related to ribosome biogenesis, RNA processing, and translational regulation. Conclusions: Compartment-specific CD138 expression identifies an aggressive breast cancer phenotype with distinct transcriptomic features. This phenotype may have prognostic value and warrants validation using larger, independent cohorts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tumor Microenvironment Biomarkers: Bridging Immunology and Metastasis)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop