Cancer and Immune System Interactions
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Microenvironment".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 1267
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cytokine/growth factor signalling; cancer biology; exosomes; cancer immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer and immune system interactions play a crucial role in shaping tumor development and progression. The immune system continuously interacts with cancer cells, not only detecting and eliminating malignant cells but also, under certain conditions, supporting tumor growth, immune evasion, and resistance to therapy. Understanding how these immune responses are modulated within the tumor microenvironment is critical to developing new strategies for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
This Special Issue invites original research and reviews that explore the diverse roles of the immune system in cancer biology. We welcome studies investigating immune surveillance, inflammation-driven tumor initiation and progression, and the mechanisms that regulate immune activity within the tumor microenvironment. Submissions focused on immune-based therapies—such as checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell transfer, cancer vaccines, or novel immunomodulatory agents—are also strongly encouraged, particularly those that shed light on mechanisms of response, resistance, or therapeutic synergy. Of particular interest are findings that reveal novel signaling pathway interactions, immune cell states, tumor-intrinsic modulators, or environmental factors that influence immune engagement and clinical outcomes.
Submissions spanning cancer types, model systems, and experimental approaches are encouraged. We aim to highlight work that connects molecular mechanisms with translational insight and reflects the breadth of emerging science in this field.
Dr. Hong-Jian Zhu
Dr. Bradley Creamer
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 short 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. 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
- cancer immunology
- tumor microenvironment
- immune evasion
- immunotherapy
- tumor–immune interactions
- immune checkpoint regulation
- translational oncology
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.
