Contents
Special Issue Topic

Immune Checkpoint Therapy and Biomarkers in Cancer

Submission Deadline: December 31, 2024

Guest Editor

Prof. Eyad Elkord E-Mail

Professor, Department of Applied Biology, College of Science, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Honorary Professor, Biomedical Research Center, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK

Research Keywords: Tumor immunology; cancer immunotherapy; immunosuppression; T regulatory cells; immune checkpoints; cancer epigenetics

About the Special lssue

Immune evasion is a major hallmark of cancer, which is mediated via different mechanisms. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly immunosuppressive, which limits antitumor immunity and supports tumor growth and progression. High expression of immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment plays significant roles in inhibiting anti-tumor immunity, which is associated with cancer progression. Recent data showed that expression of various immune checkpoints in Treg/T cell subsets and other immune cells could play different roles in tumor progression and prognoses of cancer patients, which could serve as independent predictive biomarkers in patients. Monoclonal antibodies targeting immune checkpoints provided an immense breakthrough in cancer therapeutics. Recent reports have shown that patients with various malignancies benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. However, the main drawback of immune checkpoint therapy in cancer is the low response rate and immune-related adverse events. This emphasizes the need for identification of reliable biomarkers for increasing response rate and lowering immune-related adverse events. 

The aim of this special issue is to present studies and review articles focusing on immune checkpoints in cancer, immune checkpoint therapeutics, mechanism of action of immune checkpoint inhibitors, biomarkers and resistance mechanisms to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and potential strategies to enhance immune and clinical response rates in cancer patients. 

Keywords: Immune checkpoint; cancer; immune checkpoint inhibitors; biomarkers; resistance mechanisms; tumor microenvironment

Published Articles

Open Access Review
Modulation of anti-tumour immunity by XPO1 inhibitors
Jack G. Fisher ... Matthew D. Blunt
Published: April 23, 2025 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2025;6:1002310
178 8 0
Open Access Review
Overview on biomarkers for immune oncology drugs
Evgeny N. Imyanitov ... Natalia V. Mitiushkina
Published: March 17, 2025 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2025;6:1002298
504 12 1
Open Access Review
Releasing the brakes: the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in laryngeal cancer
Michail Athanasopoulos ... Nicholas S. Mastronikolis
Published: February 17, 2025 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2025;6:1002292
799 11 1
Open Access Original Article
Analysis of the benefit of anti-PD-1 monotherapy according to NGS-diagnosed genetic alterations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Hortense De Saint Basile ... Elizabeth Fabre
Published: December 18, 2024 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2024;5:1435–1449
677 31 0
Open Access Review
Blood-based circulating biomarkers for prediction of immune-checkpoint inhibitors efficacy in renal cell carcinoma
Loubna Omri ... Lucía Carril-Ajuria
Published: September 20, 2024 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2024;5:1199–1222
1248 34 1
Open Access Review
Hepatobiliary complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer
Donna Zhuang ... Stephen Riordan
Published: July 26, 2024 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2024;5:955–970
1053 20 1