The Research on Immune Responses Regulating Molecules in Cancer Development, Progression and Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

The immune system plays an important role in controlling tumor initiation, development, and progression; however, cancer cells can evade immune surveillance. Many efforts have been directed toward therapies that can either inhibit the immune evasion of, or enhance the immune response against, cancer cells. Antagonistic antibodies are some of the best-known successes in cancer immunotherapy, targeting the inhibitory immune checkpoint receptor PD -1 or its ligand PD -L1, which are used to treat a variety of cancers and can significantly improve patient survival. Other molecules such as calreticulin (CALR), a protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum, or the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are examples of intricate effector responses in the immune modulation of cancer. For example, mutations affecting CALR or HIFs expression in cancer cells promote immune evasion. Additionally, tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses can be affected by epigenomic changes. Thus, combining epigenetic therapies and cancer immunotherapies to fight cancer represents one of the main goals to be achieved. In addition, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to play a role in the immune response and immunotherapy. Finally, we know that DC-derived exosomes (Dex) are secreted by the sentinel antigen-presenting cells of the immune system (DCs). Dex have the potential to facilitate immune cell-dependent tumor defense and offer distinct advantages over cell-based immunotherapies using DCs, and these are just a few examples.

Therefore, to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, and to develop new therapeutic strategies, it is important to promote research on the molecules involved in the epigenetic mechanisms of immune responses, in the control of cellular immune functions, as well as the mutations of key immune system genes.

This topic highlights the molecular mechanisms underlying the host immune response to cancer, the current state of research, and novel molecules involved in regulating the immune response to cancer development and progression. In addition, any studies on targeted therapies that stimulate the immune response to cancer will be welcome as well.

Dr. Bruna Scaggiante
Guest Editor

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