Design, Synthesis and Development of Anticancer Drugs Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Malignant tumors (cancer) have long been the leading cause of death in Japan and are also among the primary causes of mortality in other developed countries. Consequently, there is a persistent and growing need for excellent cancer treatments. In recent years, the development of anticancer drugs has increased significantly, with a large proportion of new therapeutic development focused on oncology.
Cancer is not composed solely of tumor cells; it develops through complex interactions with fibroblasts (cancer-associated fibroblast—CAF), endothelial cells (tumor endothelial cells—TECs), and immune cells (tumor-associated macrophage—TAMs). Therefore, it is difficult to eradicate cancer with drugs that target only tumor cells. There is a strong need for drugs that modulate the tumor microenvironment, including angiogenic inhibitors, anti-metastatic agents, hypoxic cytotoxins, and immunostimulants, as well as agents that enhance physicochemical therapies, such as radiosensitizers and ultrasound sensitizers.
Furthermore, in vivo models that accurately reproduce the tumor microenvironment are essential for screening these therapies. Chicken eggs offer an ideal alternative animal model, enabling the simple and rapid creation of a large number of tumor-bearing models.
This Special Issue welcomes a broad range of research and development focused on anticancer drugs that target the tumor microenvironment.
Prof. Dr. Yoshihiro Uto
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- anticancer drugs
- tumor microenvironment
- in vivo model
- cancer-associated fibroblast
- tumor-associated macrophage
- tumor hypoxia
- tumor endothelial cells
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