Signaling Pathways Involved in Tumor Microenvironment and Tumor Adaptation to Stresses
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Signaling".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1992
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Tumorigenesis is a multiple step process. During tumor development following cellular-level changes, tumor cells demonstrate extensive interaction with their microenvironment, which includes stromal cells, the extracellular matrix, signaling molecules, metabolites and therapeutics. A variety of signaling pathways activated by these interactions play critical roles in regulating tumor cell survival, invasiveness, metastasis, immune avoidance, metabolic reprogramming and resistance to chemo- and radiation therapy. A better understanding of these signaling pathways and their biological consequences will provide us with valuable targets for cancer treatment.
Particularly, the invasiveness and metastasis of carcinoma, the most common type of malignancy, require regulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition, intravasation, extravasation, mesenchymal–epithelial transition and colonization procedures. Each procedure heavily depends on a specific type of signaling and subsequent transcription reprogramming.
On the other hand, solid tumors often develop poor circulation, which may lead to tumor tissue hypoxia and associated lack of nutrients. In response to this challenge and associated metabolic stress and oxidative stress, a variety of signaling pathways are activated to facilitate cancer cells to survival and proliferate under these conditions. Importantly, these stresses may trigger signaling pathways to control angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, migration, metastasis, chemoresistance and sometimes, apoptosis.
This Special Issue will provide an overview of the signaling pathways involved in tumor microenvironments and tumor adaptation to various stresses. We are inviting submissions of original research articles and reviews on topics relevant to any aspect of tumor microenvironments, invasiveness and metastasis, metabolic stress, cancer stem cells, chemo- or radiation resistance and immune avoidance.
Dr. Nianli Sang
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- microenvironment
- metabolic stress
- hypoxia
- chemoresistance
- radiation resistance
- apoptosis
- metabolic reprogramming
- metastasis
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