New Insights into the Tumor Microenvironment of Pleural Mesothelioma and Opportunities for Novel Treatments
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: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cancer; molecular oncology; molecular medicine; targeted therapy; cell signaling; pulmonary diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is the main cancer affecting the pleural membranes covering the lungs. It is characterized by high heterogeneity, a lack of markers for early diagnosis, and actionable targets for effective therapeutic strategies.
For the past 15 years, the combination of cisplatin or carboplatin with pemetrexed has remained the standard-of-care for patients with unresectable PM. Recently, the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized the previously static therapeutic landscape for PM, and numerous clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the benefits of new combination regimens. However, the prognosis for patients with PM remains poor.
Beyond the immune cells, growing evidence is highlighting the critical roles of other cellular populations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) involved in immunosuppression and chemoresistance. These include Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs), Endothelial Cells, Cancer-Associated Adipocytes (CAAs), and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs).
These cells mediate their effects through secreting inhibitory cytokines, nitric oxide, and damage- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns, as well as through direct cell-to-cell interactions, among others.
Although scholarly understanding of mesothelioma TME increasingly recognizes the pro-tumorigenic functions of stromal components compared to other tumor types, there remains a significant lack of information regarding the molecular characteristics of these cellular elements. A deeper understanding of stromal cells within the TME, as well as their complex crosstalk with immune cells, could be pivotal in defining a more precise biological profile of PM and, ultimately, in identifying novel therapeutic opportunities.
Dr. Marcella Barbarino
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- mesothelioma
- tumor-associated stromal cells
- immunotherapy
- tumor microenvironment
- cancer-associated fibroblast
- mesenchymal stem cells
- endothelial cells
- cancer-associated adipocytes
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