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The Role of Inflammation in the Etiology of Precancerous Lesions, Carcinogenesis and Cancer Treatment

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: 30 July 2025 | Viewed by 9479

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland
2. Molecular Laboratory, Invicta Fertility and Reproductive Centre, 81-740 Sopot, Poland
Interests: genetic and epigenetic changes in mastocytosis; psoriasis; atopic dermatitis; treg regulation of skin immunology; chemokines and cytokines network in skin diseases; genetic and chromosomal changes in melanomas; sarcomas; T-cell lymphomas and breast carcinomas; genetic and chromosomal causes of infertility; preimplantation; prenatal and postnatal molecular and cytogenetic diagnostic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics–Fahrenheit Biobank BBMRI.pl, Medical University of Gdansk, 7 Debinki Street, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
2. BioTechMed Centre, Department of Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Street, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: cancer oncogenesis; diagnostics and treatment; epigenetic mechanisms in cancer; circadian changes in genes expression in cancer; cardiovascular complications; neurodegenerative diseases; cancer, neurotic and endothelial cells signaling; endothelial dysfunction; oxidative and nitroxidative stress; angiogenesis; mastocytosis; sarcoidosis population genetics; biobanking

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Medicine, Academy of Applied Medical and Social Sciences, 2 Lotnicza Street, 82-300 Elblag, Poland
2. Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Saint Wojciech Hospital, Nicolaus Copernicus Health Center, 50 Jana Pawła II Street, 80-462 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: gastric cancer; robotic surgery; Surgical oncology; colorectal surgery; gastrointestinal surgery; minimally invasive surgery; histopathological aspects; signet ring cells; lymphadenectomy; molecular classifications; peritoneal spreading; neoadjuvant chemotherapy; esophageal cancer; achalasia; gastro-esophageal reflux disease; immunonutrition in cancer patients; textbook outcomes and volumes in surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory processes are one of the essential etiological factors in cancers. The etiology of many types of cancer is associated with bacterial and viral infection. After stimulation, primary and secondary inflammation cytokines, chemokines, inflammasome proteins, growth factors secreted by inflammatory cells (dendrocytes, mast cells, fibroblast, monocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, melanocytes, lymphoid cells ILC1, ILC3 and also different types of lymphocytes: CD4 (TH17, Th22, Th1, Th2), NKT, gδ T cells, CD8 Tcells, Treg cells) are involved in the initiation, progression and metastase development of tumors and can also suppress immune system.

The biological drugs currently utilized in clinic represent a double-edged sword, with both beneficial and detrimental effects. Monoclonal antibodies (anti TNF-α, anti- interleukin and anti- specific for the inflammatory cells receptors) and therapies based on cytostatic and phototherapeutic methods (for example PUVA therapy) have a profound effect on the immune system and can suppress surveillance and its anti-cancer functions. They also exacerbate the endocrine tissue system, as the source of neuropeptides and neurohormones can be involved in cancer progression and metastasis.

In this Special Issue, supervised by the Guest Editor group and additionally supported by Prof. Piotr Wierzbicki (Medical University of Gdańsk), we encourage authors to publish articles that discuss the role of inflammatory processes, induced by endogenous factors (stress, hormones, autoantibodies), exogenous factors (viruses, bacteria) and epigenetic phenomena (ln RNA, miRNA, promoter genes methylation, posttranscriptional histone modification), in the progression and metastasis of tumors; this particularly includes renal and urogenital system pathologies, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, mastocytosis, colorectal cancer, upper gastrointestinal cancer, nonmelanomas skin cancer and melanomas, and precancerous lesions, including precancerous skin lesions.

In additional, we strongly encourage the submission of research on conventional and biological drugs, immunotherapy, and immunonutrition. We hope to explore their role in the control and modulation of the inflammatory processes at the basis of cancerous and precancerous skin lesions. Your contributions to these topics will undoubtedly enrich the scientific discourse in this field.

Dr. Boguslaw Nedoszytko
Prof. Dr. Leszek Kalinowski
Prof. Dr. Luigi Marano
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • inflammation cascade in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis
  • inflammasome proteins, glycation, NOS isoforms, nitric oxide, oxidative and nitroxidative stress, DAMP, TLR, ferroptosis and necrosis in cancer etiology
  • COVID-19 infection, cancer and neurodegenerative isorders
  • inflammatory cells and cacer
  • primary and secondary inflammation cascade cytokines (IL-1, TNFα, IL-18, IL-8, IL-6), chemokines, and growth factors in cancer
  • noncoding RNA and other epigenetic mechnisms in cancer
  • oxidative/nitroxidative-dependent cell signaling
  • breast, prostate, urogenital, renal, thyroiccolon and esophago-gastric cancers, melanomas, skin diseases associated with cancer
  • oncogenes, supressor genes, apoptosis, gene dysfunction and cancer
  • metabolomic, microbiotic, proteomic and genomic changes in cancer
  • biological drugs in inflammatory diseases and cancer treatment
  • effects of immunonutrition and microbiotic modulators on the inflammatory infiltration of the tumor microenvironment
  • neurodegenerative changes in cancer and after cancer treatmet
  • the regulatory feedback of inflammatory signaling and telomere/telomerase complex dysfunction in carcinogenesis and chronic inflammatory diseases

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Review

35 pages, 2576 KiB  
Review
Inflammation in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review
by Mateusz Czajkowski, Piotr M. Wierzbicki, Maciej Dolny, Marcin Matuszewski and Oliver W. Hakenberg
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2785; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062785 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Inflammation appears to play a crucial role in the development and progression of penile cancer (PeCa). Two molecular pathways of PeCa are currently described: HPV-dependent and HPV-independent. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of PeCa is characterized by the presence of tumor-associated macrophages, cancer-associated [...] Read more.
Inflammation appears to play a crucial role in the development and progression of penile cancer (PeCa). Two molecular pathways of PeCa are currently described: HPV-dependent and HPV-independent. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of PeCa is characterized by the presence of tumor-associated macrophages, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The components of the TIME produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which have been found to be overexpressed in PeCa tissues and are associated with tumor progression and unfavorable prognoses. Additionally, the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) have been implicated in PeCa pathogenesis. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been identified as potential prognostic biomarkers in PeCa. This overview presents the complex contribution of the inflammatory process and collates projects aimed at modulating TIME in PeCa. Full article
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17 pages, 909 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Inflammation on the Etiopathogenesis of Benign Salivary Gland Tumors: A Scoping Review
by Konrad Szydłowski, Michał Puchalski, Stanisław Ołdziej, Agnieszka Kasprzyk-Tryk, Andrzej Skorek and Dmitry Tretiakow
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12558; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312558 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 830
Abstract
Salivary gland tumors are rare head and neck tumors constituting up to 6% of all head and neck neoplasms; despite being mostly benign, these tumors present in diverse histological subtypes, making them challenging to diagnose and treat. Our research aims to investigate the [...] Read more.
Salivary gland tumors are rare head and neck tumors constituting up to 6% of all head and neck neoplasms; despite being mostly benign, these tumors present in diverse histological subtypes, making them challenging to diagnose and treat. Our research aims to investigate the link between inflammation and tumorigenesis within the salivary glands based on the literature regarding the etiopathogenesis of benign salivary gland tumors. This scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews and reporting guidelines. The search was conducted using the Pubmed and Embase databases. Articles published between 2004 and May 2024 were included in the review. A total of 1097 papers were collected and identified. After 271 duplicates were removed, 826 titles and abstracts were independently reviewed by two researchers. Based on the title and abstract, 735 citations were excluded, and 91 articles were assessed for eligibility. Data were extracted from 46 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights the significance of inflammation-related factors and its relations with benign salivary gland tumors (SGTs). Knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of these tumors remains insufficient, and their rich immunological background poses challenges in diagnosis. The findings also point to directions for further clinical research, which will be necessary to implement these molecules in clinical practice. Full article
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17 pages, 2269 KiB  
Review
New Insights into the Fanconi Anemia Pathogenesis: A Crosstalk Between Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
by Anna Repczynska, Barbara Ciastek and Olga Haus
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(21), 11619; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111619 - 29 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1967
Abstract
Fanconi anemia (FA) represents a rare hereditary disease; it develops due to germline pathogenic variants in any of the 22 currently discovered FANC genes, which interact with the Fanconi anemia/breast cancer-associated (FANC/BRCA) pathway to maintain genome integrity. FA is characterized by a triad [...] Read more.
Fanconi anemia (FA) represents a rare hereditary disease; it develops due to germline pathogenic variants in any of the 22 currently discovered FANC genes, which interact with the Fanconi anemia/breast cancer-associated (FANC/BRCA) pathway to maintain genome integrity. FA is characterized by a triad of clinical traits, including congenital anomalies, bone marrow failure (BMF) and multiple cancer susceptibility. Due to the complex genetic background and a broad spectrum of FA clinical symptoms, the diagnostic process is complex and requires the use of classical cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetics and strictly molecular methods. Recent findings indicate the interplay of inflammation, oxidative stress, disrupted mitochondrial metabolism, and impaired intracellular signaling in the FA pathogenesis. Additionally, a shift in the balance towards overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and prooxidant components in FA is associated with advanced myelosuppression and ultimately BMF. Although the mechanism of BMF is very complex and needs further clarification, it appears that mutual interaction between proinflammatory cytokines and redox imbalance causes pancytopenia. In this review, we summarize the available literature regarding the clinical phenotype, genetic background, and diagnostic procedures of FA. We also highlight the current understanding of disrupted autophagy process, proinflammatory state, impaired signaling pathways and oxidative genotoxic stress in FA pathogenesis. Full article
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18 pages, 946 KiB  
Review
The Role of Gamma Delta T Lymphocytes in Physiological and Pathological Condition—Focus on Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, Autoimmune Disorders, Cancer and Lymphomas
by Joanna Chojnacka-Purpurowicz, Agnieszka Owczarczyk-Saczonek and Bogusław Nedoszytko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(14), 7960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25147960 - 21 Jul 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2515
Abstract
Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are a heterogeneous population of cells that play roles in inflammation, host tissue repair, clearance of viral and bacterial pathogens, regulation of immune processes, and tumor surveillance. Recent research suggests that these are the main skin cells that [...] Read more.
Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are a heterogeneous population of cells that play roles in inflammation, host tissue repair, clearance of viral and bacterial pathogens, regulation of immune processes, and tumor surveillance. Recent research suggests that these are the main skin cells that produce interleukin-17 (I-17). Furthermore, γδ T cells exhibit memory-cell-like characteristics that mediate repeated episodes of psoriatic inflammation. γδ T cells are found in epithelial tissues, where many cancers develop. There, they participate in antitumor immunity as cytotoxic cells or as immune coordinators. γδ T cells also participate in host defense, immune surveillance, and immune homeostasis. The aim of this review is to present the importance of γδ T cells in physiological and pathological diseases, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and lymphoma. Full article
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49 pages, 3833 KiB  
Review
The Role of Exhaled Breath Condensate in Chronic Inflammatory and Neoplastic Diseases of the Respiratory Tract
by Karolina Kita, Marika Gawinowska, Marta Chełmińska and Marek Niedoszytko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7395; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137395 - 5 Jul 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2715
Abstract
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the most common chronic respiratory diseases. Chronic inflammation of the airways leads to an increased production of inflammatory markers by the effector cells of the respiratory tract and lung tissue. These biomarkers allow the [...] Read more.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the most common chronic respiratory diseases. Chronic inflammation of the airways leads to an increased production of inflammatory markers by the effector cells of the respiratory tract and lung tissue. These biomarkers allow the assessment of physiological and pathological processes and responses to therapeutic interventions. Lung cancer, which is characterized by high mortality, is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide. Current screening methods and tissue biopsies have limitations that highlight the need for rapid diagnosis, patient differentiation, and effective management and monitoring. One promising non-invasive diagnostic method for respiratory diseases is the assessment of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). EBC contains a mixture of volatile and non-volatile biomarkers such as cytokines, leukotrienes, oxidative stress markers, and molecular biomarkers, providing significant information about inflammatory and neoplastic states in the lungs. This article summarizes the research on the application and development of EBC assessment in diagnosing and monitoring respiratory diseases, focusing on asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. The process of collecting condensate, potential issues, and selected groups of markers for detailed disease assessment in the future are discussed. Further research may contribute to the development of more precise and personalized diagnostic and treatment methods. Full article
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