Feature Papers in Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Diseases

A special issue of Medical Sciences (ISSN 2076-3271). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer and Cancer-Related Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 1009

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Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Boonshoft School of Medicine Wright State University, Fairborn, OH 45324, USA
Interests: oxidative stressors and lipid mediators; cancer pharmacology and chemoprevention; anticancer therapeutics and immunomodulation; photobiology and environmental factors; cellular signaling pathways in tumor resistance mechanisms; antitumor immune responses
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Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Feature Papers in Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Diseases”, is dedicated to highlighting high-impact, innovative studies that advance our understanding of cancer biology, treatment, and prevention. This collection seeks to showcase cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that address critical challenges and emerging opportunities in the field of oncology. Given this context, this Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research focused on innovations in relation to cancer and cancer-related diseases. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • Cancer genetics and epigenetics;
  • Tumor immunology and immunotherapy;
  • Tumor microenvironment dynamics;
  • Mechanisms of carcinogenesis and metastasis;
  • Cancer metabolism and metabolic reprogramming;
  • Diagnostic biomarkers and precision oncology;
  • Therapeutic resistance and novel treatment strategies;
  • Cancer epidemiology and prevention;
  • Cancer predisposition syndromes;
  • Translational research bridging basic and clinical oncology.

Submissions should present substantial methodological advances, mechanistic insights, or clinically relevant findings with the potential of having a significant field-wide impact. Interdisciplinary studies integrating molecular biology, computational approaches, and clinical applications are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Ravi P. Sahu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cancer genetics
  • tumor immunology
  • cancer epidemiology
  • diagnostic biomarkers
  • cancer epidemiology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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15 pages, 452 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Efficacy of Neoantigen-Loaded Dendritic Cell Vaccine Immunotherapy in Non-Metastatic Gastric Cancer
by Menelaos Papakonstantinou, Paraskevi Chatzikomnitsa, Areti Danai Gkaitatzi, Athanasia Myriskou, Alexandros Giakoustidis, Dimitrios Giakoustidis and Vasileios N. Papadopoulos
Med. Sci. 2025, 13(3), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13030090 - 11 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Even though surgery and chemotherapy are the mainstay of treatment, immunotherapy, and more specifically anti-tumor vaccination, has gained popularity over the past years due to the lower related toxicity and [...] Read more.
Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Even though surgery and chemotherapy are the mainstay of treatment, immunotherapy, and more specifically anti-tumor vaccination, has gained popularity over the past years due to the lower related toxicity and fewer long-term side effects. Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines have been shown to induce tumor specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses both in vitro and in vivo; however, due to the nature of the disease, resistance to immunotherapy is often developed. Various modifications, such as the implementation of viral vectors, tumor RNA, or even tumor-specific peptides (neoantigens), have been studied as a means to avoid resistance and enhance the effectiveness of the vaccines. In this review, we aim to assess the effects of neoantigen-loaded DC vaccines (naDCVs) on the immune response against gastric cancer cells. Materials and methods: A thorough literature search was conducted on PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov for studies assessing the efficacy of naDCVs against gastric cancer both in vivo and in vitro. The studies were assessed for eligibility by two independent reviewers based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search was completed following the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Eleven studies were included in our systematic review. In five of the studies, the effects of the naDCVs were tested in vitro; in two and in four they were examined both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro studies showed that the naDCVs resulted in a more robust immune response against the cancer cells in the study groups compared to the control groups. The in vivo studies conducted on mice showed that tumor volume was reduced in the groups treated with the naDCV compared to the untreated groups. What is more, the cytotoxic effect of CTLs against tumor cells was also increased in the vaccine groups. One of the studies was conducted on humans as a phase I study. The results show increased CTL proliferation and cytokine production in the vaccinated group compared to the control, but no difference regarding the tumor size was observed. Conclusions: Neoantigen-loaded DC vaccines can stimulate a strong immune response against specific gastric cancer cell peptides and enhance tumor cell lysis, therefore hindering or even reversing disease progression, offering great potential for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Section Cancer and Cancer-Related Diseases)
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