Biomarkers for Cancer Immunotherapy

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of many malignancies, yet durable clinical benefit remains confined to a subset of patients. A central challenge in the field is the identification of robust biomarkers capable of predicting therapeutic response, intrinsic and acquired resistance, immune-related toxicities, and long-term outcomes. Advances in basic research have driven biomarker discovery by elucidating molecular and cellular determinants of antitumor immunity, including tumor neoantigen load, antigen presentation competence, immune checkpoint regulation, immune cell phenotypes and functional states, and dynamic features of the tumor microenvironment that shape immunotherapy sensitivity.

In parallel, clinical and translational studies have established and refined biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, immune gene expression signatures, spatial immune organization, and circulating biomarkers derived from blood or other body fluids. Emerging technologies—including single-cell and spatial omics, high-dimensional immune profiling, advanced imaging, and computational modeling—are further accelerating biomarker discovery and improving clinical relevance.

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research spanning basic mechanistic studies, translational investigations, and clinical validation across diverse cancer types and immunotherapeutic modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapies, cancer vaccines, and rational combination strategies. We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance biomarker discovery, validation, and implementation, ultimately supporting precision immuno-oncology and more effective, personalized cancer immunotherapy.

Dr. Xin Du
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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