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Advances in Pharmacotherapeutic Strategies to Prevent Tumor Development, Progression and Treatment Resistance, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1783

Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression have promoted the de novo development of novel small molecules and facilitated drug repositioning, complementing contemporary therapeutic approaches for enhancing patient survival. Pharmacotherapeutics that target nonredundant pathways in tumor cells required for proliferation, survival, and unchecked self-renewal capacity have provided additional strategies for improving the standard of care in treating many forms of cancer. Moreover, appreciating the importance of targeting the stromal compartment (e.g., immune cells, fibroblasts, and adipocytes) has further exposed therapeutic liabilities in the tumor microenvironment, which may present additional options for preventing tumor cell growth and suppressing cancer cell resistance to therapeutics. Further identification and elaboration of necessary intracellular pathways and cell–cell signaling mechanisms may improve new pharmacotherapeutic approaches for preventing tumor development, progression, and treatment resistance.

This Special Issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology is open for the submission of both original research articles and review articles focused on the advances in our understanding of actionable pharmacologic mechanisms for preventing cancer development and progression. Identifying and elaborating on these mechanisms may provide a path forward in improving patient care and outcomes.

To read the first and second volumes of our Special Issue, please click the following links:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cimb/special_issues/TH355V0O5G

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cimb/special_issues/4637044RT6

Dr. Peter C. Hart
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 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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Issues in Molecular Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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
  • therapeutic resistance
  • drug tolerance
  • mechanisms of tumor development
  • mechanisms of tumor progression

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

21 pages, 340 KB  
Review
Targeting Estrogen Receptor for Breast Cancer
by Eugenia Yiannakopoulou
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(7), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070715 - 13 Jul 2026
Viewed by 131
Abstract
With a lifetime risk estimated to be 1 in 8 in industrialized countries, breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among women worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. More importantly, current evidence suggests that in women [...] Read more.
With a lifetime risk estimated to be 1 in 8 in industrialized countries, breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among women worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. More importantly, current evidence suggests that in women aged <45 years, breast cancer is unquestionably the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Hormonal therapy has an established role in the treatment of breast cancer. Hormonal therapy aims at preventing the stimulation of mitogenic estrogen-dependent pathways. Hormonal therapy can be performed through blocking the production of estrogens or through blocking the action of estrogens upon tumor cells. The action of estrogens upon tumor cells can be blocked through selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) or through selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs). Estrogen receptor mutation (ESR1 mutation) is one of the common mechanisms by which breast cancer becomes resistant to additional therapies from SERMs or aromatase inhibitors. Fulvestrant, an injectable anti-estrogen, is the SERD commonly used. Fulvestrant has no agonistic activity and causes degradation of the estrogen receptor. This agent is more active in postmenopause than premenopause and is indicated in the treatment of advanced breast cancer in case of disease progression during or after tamoxifen. Oral SERDs are being rapidly developed to replace fulvestrant with the potential of higher efficacy and lower toxicities. Novel agents such as complete estrogen receptor antagonists (CERANs), proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and selective estrogen receptor covalent antagonists (SERCAs) are also promising therapies. This manuscript focuses on recent advances in the development of drugs targeting the estrogen receptor. Full article
25 pages, 1432 KB  
Review
Research Progress on Anticancer Mechanism of Ginsenoside Regulating Tumor Microenvironment
by Tianjia Liu, Wei Li, Da Liu and Baiji Xue
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(3), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48030329 - 20 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1363
Abstract
Cancer is currently one of the most significant health threats facing humanity in general. The clinical treatment of cancer is constrained by the current development of chemotherapy drug resistance, poor pharmacokinetics, off-target toxicity, and insufficient intratumoral accumulation. Although surgery combined with chemotherapy is [...] Read more.
Cancer is currently one of the most significant health threats facing humanity in general. The clinical treatment of cancer is constrained by the current development of chemotherapy drug resistance, poor pharmacokinetics, off-target toxicity, and insufficient intratumoral accumulation. Although surgery combined with chemotherapy is now maturely used in clinical practice, the results are unsatisfactory, and the incidence and mortality of cancer continue to increase year by year with high side effects from treatment. Therefore, it is important to find more effective therapeutic targets against cancer. Alterations in the tumor microenvironment can lead to cellular gene mutations, which are an important cause of tumorigenesis, and therapeutic interventions targeting the tumor microenvironment have been one of the most interesting research areas in the oncology community in recent years. Ginseng is rich in antitumor-active ingredients and is used in the treatment of many cancer diseases. Ginsenoside is one of the main active components of ginseng. This paper reviews the antitumor mechanism of action of ginsenoside through regulating the tumor microenvironment, emphasizing the key role of ginsenoside in the tumor microenvironment and providing a new target and theoretical basis for ginsenoside in the treatment of cancer. Full article
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