Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.1
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies—2nd Edition
ijms-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies—2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 7689

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Takayuki Yoshimoto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Immunoregulation, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
Interests: cytokines; antitumor immunity; vaccine; regenerative medicine; mesenchymal stem cells; autoimmune diseases; allergic diseases; inflammatory diseases; sensitization; hapten
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Takuma Kato

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Esobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan
Interests: Th; Treg; CTL; CAR-T; TAM; metabolism; tumor immunity; cancer vaccine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hisashi Nagase

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infection and Host Defense, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan
Interests: inflammation; inflammatory diseases; cytokines; parasite infection; immune regulation; tumor immunity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current global success in the protection against COVID-19 through vaccination has proved the effectiveness and safety of the mRNA vaccine delivered by lipid nanoparticles. Such breakthroughs, including cancer vaccination; adoptive cell transfer therapy using CAR-T cells, TCR-T cells, and iPS cell-derived cells; immune checkpoint inhibitors; antibody therapy; dendritic cell therapy; and molecular targeting therapy, have greatly improved cancer patient outcomes. However, the overall survival rate is still unsatisfactory; therefore, it is necessary to much better understand the molecular mechanisms of cancer development and progression in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the latest advances in research on cancer immunotherapy ranging from basic research to clinical aspects that may advance our understanding of human cancer. Since IJMS is a journal of molecular science, pure clinical studies such as case reports will not be suitable for submission, but clinical submissions such as biomolecular experiments are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Takayuki Yoshimoto
Dr. Takuma Kato
Dr. Hisashi Nagase
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • antibody therapy
  • cytokines/chemokines
  • CAR-T and TCR-T cells
  • iPS cell-derived cells
  • dendritic cell therapy
  • vaccine
  • inflammation
  • mesenchymal stem cells
  • immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 2789 KiB  
Article
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Bearing Herpes Virus Entry Mediator Co-Stimulatory Signal Domain Exhibits Exhaustion-Resistant Properties
by Jun-ichi Nunoya, Nagisa Imuta and Michiaki Masuda
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 8662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168662 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1197
Abstract
Improving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapeutic outcomes and expanding its applicability to solid tumors requires further refinement of CAR-T cells. We previously reported that CAR-T cells bearing a herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM)-derived co-stimulatory signal domain (CSSD) (HVEM-CAR-T cells) exhibit superior functions [...] Read more.
Improving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapeutic outcomes and expanding its applicability to solid tumors requires further refinement of CAR-T cells. We previously reported that CAR-T cells bearing a herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM)-derived co-stimulatory signal domain (CSSD) (HVEM-CAR-T cells) exhibit superior functions and characteristics. Here, we conducted comparative analyses to evaluate the impact of different CSSDs on CAR-T cell exhaustion. The results indicated that HVEM-CAR-T cells had significantly lower frequencies of exhausted cells and exhibited the highest proliferation rates upon antigenic stimulation. Furthermore, proliferation inhibition by programmed cell death ligand 1 was stronger in CAR-T cells bearing CD28-derived CSSD (CD28-CAR-T cells) whereas it was weaker in HVEM-CAR-T. Additionally, HVEM-CAR-T cells maintained a low exhaustion level even after antigen-dependent proliferation and exhibited potent killing activities, suggesting that HVEM-CAR-T cells might be less prone to early exhaustion. Analysis of CAR localization on the cell surface revealed that CAR formed clusters in CD28-CAR-T cells whereas uniformly distributed in HVEM-CAR-T cells. Analysis of CD3ζ phosphorylation indicated that CAR-dependent tonic signals were strongly sustained in CD28-CAR-T cells whereas they were significantly weaker in HVEM-CAR-T cells. Collectively, these results suggest that the HVEM-derived CSSD is useful for generating CAR-T cells with exhaustion-resistant properties, which could be effective against solid tumors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 2544 KiB  
Review
Immortalization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Application in Regenerative Medicine and Their Potential Risks of Tumorigenesis
by Natsuki Yamaguchi, Eri Horio, Jukito Sonoda, Miu Yamagishi, Satomi Miyakawa, Fumihiro Murakami, Hideaki Hasegawa, Yasuhiro Katahira, Izuru Mizoguchi, Yasuyuki Fujii, Daichi Chikazu and Takayuki Yoshimoto
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13562; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413562 - 18 Dec 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1772
Abstract
Regenerative medicine utilizes stem cells to repair damaged tissues by replacing them with their differentiated cells and activating the body’s inherent regenerative abilities. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that possess tissue repair and regenerative capabilities and immunomodulatory properties with a [...] Read more.
Regenerative medicine utilizes stem cells to repair damaged tissues by replacing them with their differentiated cells and activating the body’s inherent regenerative abilities. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that possess tissue repair and regenerative capabilities and immunomodulatory properties with a much lower risk of tumorigenicity, making them a focus of numerous clinical trials worldwide. MSCs primarily exert their therapeutic effects through paracrine effects via secreted factors, such as cytokines and exosomes. This has led to increasing interest in cell-free therapy, where only the conditioned medium (also called secretome) from MSC cultures is used for regenerative applications. However, MSCs face certain limitations, including cellular senescence, scarcity, donor heterogeneity, complexity, short survival post-implantation, and regulatory and ethics hurdles. To address these challenges, various types of immortalized MSCs (ImMSCs) capable of indefinite expansion have been developed. These cells offer significant promise and essential tools as a reliable source for both cell-based and cell-free therapies with the aim of translating them into practical medicine. However, the process of immortalization, often involving the transduction of immortalizing genes, poses potential risks of genetic instability and resultant malignant transformation. Cell-free therapy is particularly attractive, as it circumvents the risks of tumorigenicity and ethical concerns associated with live cell therapies. Rigorous safety tests, such as monitoring chromosomal abnormalities, are critical to ensure safety. Technologies like inducible or suicide genes may allow for the controlled proliferation of MSCs and induce apoptosis after their therapeutic task is completed. This review highlights recent advancements in the immortalization of MSCs and the associated risks of tumorigenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1928 KiB  
Review
Revolutionizing CAR T-Cell Therapies: Innovations in Genetic Engineering and Manufacturing to Enhance Efficacy and Accessibility
by Lorenzo Giorgioni, Alessandra Ambrosone, Maria Francesca Cometa, Anna Laura Salvati, Robert Nisticò and Armando Magrelli
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10365; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910365 - 26 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4061
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has achieved notable success in treating hematological cancers but faces significant challenges in solid-tumor treatment and overall efficacy. Key limitations include T-cell exhaustion, tumor relapse, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME), immunogenicity, and antigen heterogeneity. To address these issues, [...] Read more.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has achieved notable success in treating hematological cancers but faces significant challenges in solid-tumor treatment and overall efficacy. Key limitations include T-cell exhaustion, tumor relapse, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME), immunogenicity, and antigen heterogeneity. To address these issues, various genetic engineering strategies have been proposed. Approaches such as overexpression of transcription factors or metabolic armoring and dynamic CAR regulation are being explored to improve CAR T-cell function and safety. Other efforts to improve CAR T-cell efficacy in solid tumors include targeting novel antigens or developing alternative strategies to address antigen diversity. Despite the promising preclinical results of these solutions, challenges remain in translating CAR T-cell therapies to the clinic to enable economically viable access to these transformative medicines. The efficiency and scalability of autologous CAR T-cell therapy production are hindered by traditional, manual processes which are costly, time-consuming, and prone to variability and contamination. These high-cost, time-intensive processes have complex quality-control requirements. Recent advancements suggest that smaller, decentralized solutions such as microbioreactors and automated point-of-care systems could improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and shorten manufacturing timelines, especially when coupled with innovative manufacturing methods such as transposons and lipid nanoparticles. Future advancements may include harmonized consumables and AI-enabled technologies, which promise to streamline manufacturing, reduce costs, and enhance production quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop