Immune Cell Plasticity and Dysfunction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Viral Hepatitis
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 207
Editor
Interests: viral hepatitis immunopathogenesis; chronic HBV infection; T cell exhaustion; immunological correlates of protection; immune therapeutic strategies; hepatocellular carcinoma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Chronic viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exemplify the intricate interplay of persistent infection, chronic inflammation, and immune dysregulation. Here, immune cell plasticity emerges as a central driver, orchestrating antiviral responses while fueling progression to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and oncogenesis. Prolonged antigen exposure, coupled with the immunosuppressive hepatic niche, reshapes key immune populations, including T cells, NK cells, myeloid-derived suppressors, and liver-resident macrophages, via exhaustion, metabolic rewiring, and epigenetic reprogramming.
These adaptations support viral persistence and defective antitumor surveillance, enabling HCC to evade immunity and resist therapies. Unraveling the molecular and cellular basis of this plasticity is crucial for pinpointing prognostic biomarkers and novel targets
This Special Issue of Cells invites original research and reviews elucidating immune cell plasticity and dysfunction in viral hepatitis and HCC. We seek contributions exploring mechanistic insights, from single-cell analyses to in vivo models, and their translational potential for precision immunotherapies, like checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapies, and metabolic modulators, to restore immune fitness and combat liver disease.
Dr. Carolina Boni
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 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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells 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 2700 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
- T cell exhaustion
- chronic infection
- anti-tumor immune response
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- tumor-infiltrating CD8+
- T-cell subpopulations
- immunometabolism
- tumor microenvironment
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.
