MiRNA Regulation in the Early PME/TME: The Role of Non-Cancer Cells and the ECM in Solid Tumours

Dear Colleagues,

A solid tumour needs to solicit the support of neighbouring non-cancer cells and the ECM to grow beyond 1–2 mm. Cancer cells enlist this support by unleashing a range of autocrine and paracrine signalling to co-opt neighbouring stromal and non-cancer cells, thereby promoting access to resources and space. In the early TME, miRNA networks regulate stromal activation, angiogenesis, immune evasion, fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, and ECM degradation, and influence cell-to-cell signalling, matrix metalloproteinases, and their inhibitors. Particular attention is given to how miRNA regulation of ECM remodelling and vascularization in the TME supports tumour growth.

This Special Issue focuses on the role of microRNA regulation of the molecular mechanisms that support early tumour growth within the TME. The role of miRNA–TME–stromal interactions in the early TME remain insufficiently explored. The rapidly evolving use of AI-related tools, combined with a deeper understanding of miRNA function in the early TME, will enhance our knowledge of the early TME and support the advancement of miRNA-based cancer therapeutics and biomarkers.

Prof. Dr. Kurt Sartorius
Guest Editor

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