Cancer Immunotherapy on Checkpoint Inhibitors: Future Directions

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized oncology, with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 becoming the standard of care for various malignancies. Despite these unprecedented successes, a significant proportion of patients fail to respond or develop acquired resistance. This Special Issue, "Cancer Immunotherapy on Checkpoint Inhibitors: Future Directions," explores the next frontier in immuno-oncology, focusing on strategies to overcome current limitations and expand the clinical utility of ICIs.

The Issue highlights research on deciphering the complex mechanisms of resistance and the role of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Key topics include the development of novel combination therapies—integrating ICIs with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted agents, or other immunomodulators—to synergistically enhance anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, the Issue addresses the critical need for predictive biomarkers beyond PD-L1 expression, such as tumor mutational burden (TMB) and gene expression profiles, to refine patient selection. Emerging targets (e.g., LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT), management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and the transition toward personalized immunotherapy regimens are also central themes, aiming to improve long-term survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

Dr. Hui Yen Chuang
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.