Cancers

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Solid Tumors, with a Focus on Urological Cancers: From Molecular Mechanisms to Predictive Biomarkers

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Linhui Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
Interests: tumor microenvironment; drug resistance; multi omics; urological cancers

Dr. Aimin Jiang

E-Mail
Guest Editor

Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
Interests: urologic oncology; single cell sequence; immune evasion; biomarkers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solid tumors, including urological cancers (e.g., prostate, bladder, and kidney cancers) and other malignancies, remain a significant global health challenge due to their complexity and resistance to current therapies. Central to their development and progression is the tumor microenvironment (TME), a dynamic ecosystem composed of cancer cells, immune infiltrates, stromal components, vasculature, and the extracellular matrix. The TME not only drives tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis but also contributes to immune evasion and therapy resistance, making it a critical area for research and therapeutic innovation.

With recent advances in single-cell multi-omics, spatial transcriptomics, and other cutting-edge technologies, researchers are now able to dissect the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms driving tumor behavior and identify predictive biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets across different types of solid tumors. By linking molecular discoveries to translational research, these advances provide opportunities to develop personalized medicine and combination therapies that improve patient outcomes.

This Special Issue invites submissions of high-quality research covering the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of solid tumors, with a special focus on urological cancers. Contributions exploring TME dynamics, predictive biomarkers, therapeutic innovations, and the application of advanced technologies are particularly welcome. Research on other solid tumor types that aligns with this translational focus is also encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Linhui Wang
Dr. Aimin Jiang
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 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-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.

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

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 1451 KB

Open AccessArticle

Intranuclear Peripheral Overexpression of Pituitary-Tumor-Transforming Gene 1: Immunohistochemical Biomarker of Lymph Node Involvement in Testicular Seminoma

by Edoardo Vergani, Francesco Pierconti, Carlotta Pozza, Elisabetta Merenda, Paola Girardi, Marta Tenuta, Roberta Benvenuto, Emanuela Teveroni, Gaetano Gulino, Giorgio Franco, Fabio Massimo Magliocca, Bernardo Rocco, Andrea Isidori, Alfredo Pontecorvi and Domenico Milardi

Cancers 2026, 18(7), 1163; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18071163 - 4 Apr 2026

Viewed by 468

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Testicular germ cell tumors, particularly seminoma, represent the leading cause of cancer in men aged 15–40 years. The decision about adjuvant therapy relies on histological features with uncertain prognostic value. The Pituitary-Tumor-Transforming Gene 1 (PTTG1), which encodes the securin protein, is crucial in sister chromatid separation. Our previous in vitro studies demonstrated that PTTG1 nuclear expression promotes invasiveness, dedifferentiation, and neolymphangiogenesis in testicular seminoma. Methods: We conducted a hypothesis-generating retrospective observational study on 51 patients (aged 23–68) with testicular seminoma, with (43%) or without (57%) lymph node involvement, evaluating potential correlations between PTTG1 and currently known prognostic factors. Clinical and pathological data were collected, including lymph node involvement, recurrence, necrosis, rete testis invasion, vascular invasion, and adipose tissue invasion. An immunohistochemical scoring system assessing intranuclear PTTG1 expression was developed. Results: The PTTG1 score was related to lymph node metastasis and adipose tissue invasion. ROC curve analysis showed that the PTTG1 immunohistochemical score showed good discriminatory ability in identifying lymph node involvement (AUC = 0.939); the optimal cut-off was 4.0 (sensitivity 90.5%; specificity 57.1%), while the ROC curve for adipose tissue invasion was inadequate. Lymph node metastasis also correlated with necrosis; however, logistic regression confirmed that PTTG1 score was independently associated with nodal involvement (p = 0.002), regardless of tumor size and necrosis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a correlation between PTTG1 expression and lymphadenopathy at diagnosis, independent of tumor size and T stage. It may reflect biological features associated with lymphatic dissemination and requires further investigation in larger prospective studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Tumors, with a Focus on Urological Cancers: From Molecular Mechanisms to Predictive Biomarkers)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Solid Tumors, with a Focus on Urological Cancers: From Molecular Mechanisms to Predictive Biomarkers

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI