Tumor-Initiating Cells in Cancer: Their Interactions with Other Cell Types, and Prospective Applications
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Tumor Microenvironment".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 36
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cancer biology; leukemia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
For decades now, the microscope has no longer been the singular method employed in the study of biology, and diverse technical advancements in cancer research have enabled spectacular progress. This has not only enabled an efficient gathering of information on carcinogenesis but also presents the opportunity to verify groundbreaking discoveries at a break-neck speed. A substantial body of evidence points to malignant oncogenesis as a result of interactions between different intracellular signaling pathways and, ultimately, between diverse cells.
Before long, advanced tissue mimics will be employed to monitor and intervene in cancer development. Currently, it is important to focus on the validity and precision of the information gained on the effects of cancer cells on non-cancer tissue. This does not mean that bold approaches should not be attempted; however, it is crucial to ensure the rigorous and considerate planning of approaches and the provision for informative and insightful data acquisition.
This Special Issue welcomes all manuscripts that address interactions between cancer and non-cancer cells. Research that evaluates the validity of the findings in respect to the diverse aspects that characterize these interactions is especially encouraged.
Single-cell analysis approaches are welcome, especially when addressing aspects of the cancer–host interaction. Spatial biology work is also encouraged, provided that it considers the need for insightful controls, which can help verify the validity and importance of findings.
Novel approaches for therapeutic methodologies are also welcome. Research on novel methods to evaluate therapeutic methodologies, considering the parameters and components that mediate effects on host tissue, is also desirable; these parameters can make or break the final results, depending on their application of the "hammer and anvil" strategy, which essentially comprises generating conditions that allow the novel approach to elicit the desirable effect, instead of triggering a phenotypic shift in the tumor cell population to cause the long-term retention of malignant cells capable of disease relapse.
Differentiation-triggering approaches are also of interest, provided that the evaluation of results is adequately addressed.
Chromatin status analysis is a useful approach. We also welcome studies of the role of transcription factors in cellular phenotype transitions and cell interactions with different phenotypes and host tissue.
What if an approach spurs tumor cell development instead of eradicating the key clones, enabling the manifestation of new phenotypes?
Controls and rigorous validation methods are critical considerations in all topics of research.
Dr. Spiros Vlahopoulos
Guest Editor
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.
Keywords
- cancer stem cells
- cancer stem-like cells
- leukemia
- chromatin
- transcription factors
- cellular phenotype
- microenvironment
- immunity
- tumor stroma
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