Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment in Blood Cancer

Dear Colleagues, 

Hematological malignancies represent the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Although the recent advances in pharmacotherapy have significantly improved patient survival, few therapeutic options remain for some hematological diseases. Hence, a deeper understanding of blood cancer pathogenesis will provide the basis for the design of novel drugs and the improvement of clinical practice.   

To date, it is widely established that the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the development of blood cancers, sustaining tumor progression, angiogenesis, immune suppression, and drug resistance. Increasing studies are currently investigating novel “players” (e.g. cytokines, deregulated pathways, immune system, epigenetics, miRNAs, extracellular vesicles, and, metabolites) involved in the mutual crosstalk that remodel the tumor milieu, creating a pro-survival niche. 

Therefore, targeting the tumor microenvironment represents an attractive strategy to enhance the efficacy of tumor-targeting drugs and to prevent pharmacological escape, improving patients’ outcome. 

This Special Issue will focus on the novel preclinical and clinical therapeutic strategies able to target the tumor microenvironment in order to overcome its protective effect in hematological malignancies. 

For this Special Issue, authors are encouraged to submit original research, systematic reviews, and review articles.

Dr. Ilaria Saltarella
Dr. Concetta Altamura
Dr. Paola Poma
Guest Editors

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