Contents
Special Issue Topic

Cancer Immunotherapy and Tumor Microenvironment

Guest Editors

Dr. Fathia Mami-Chouaib E-Mail

INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Fac. de Médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 94805, Villejuif, France

Research Keywords: Onco-immunology; cancer immunotherapy; cancer vaccine; T lymphocytes; CTL; TRM

Dr. Salem Chouaib E-Mail

INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Fac. de Médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 94805, Villejuif, France; Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Research Keywords: Onco-immunology; tumor microenvironment; hypoxia; EMT; tumor immune escape

About the Special lssue

Immunotherapy is poised to become an increasingly used strategy for the treatment of cancer. Targeting immune checkpoints, such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4), has led to unprecedented clinical outcomes in several cancer patients. However, despite the favorable outcome for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-responding patients, the response rate remains low. This is in part due to the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in protecting malignant cells from the antitumor immune response and in facilitating immune escape. A paradoxical coexistence of tumor antigen-specific CD8 T lymphocytes and tumor growth arises from multiple negative immunoregulatory pathways that impede T cell-mediated tumor destruction. Indeed, cancer cells develop multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms to resist to antitumor immunity. The role of the tumor ecosystem during the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis is presently considered to be of critical importance. Therefore, targeting the TME-associated pathways may offer new options in the design of innovative cancer immunotherapy approaches. In this respect, immunotherapies could be more effective by combination of ICB and/or therapeutic cancer vaccines with agents that modulate the TME in order to overcome tumor tolerance and immune resistance, which are two major key issues that need more attention. This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive review covering some recent developments in the regulation of antitumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy, and the impact of the TME on tumor resistance and immune suppression. It also offers some perspectives on how exploring cancer cells that evade the immune surveillance may be helpful to develop more efficient strategies to target immune-escaped tumors and to design more adapted and integrative immunotherapies. The concept of reinvigorating the antitumor immune response by targeting the tumor ecosystem will certainly improve current cancer care.

Keywords: Onco-immunology; cancer immunotherapy; tumor microenvironment; T lymphocytes; MDSC; CAF; tumor resistance

Planned Articles

Published Articles

Open Access Perspective
Potential tactics with certain gut microbiota for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Sayuri Yoshikawa ... Satoru Matsuda
Published: August 24, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:556–568
3592 1121 1
Open Access Perspective
Potential tactics with vitamin D and certain phytochemicals for enhancing the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint blockade therapies
Ai Tsuji ... Satoru Matsuda
Published: June 30, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:460–473
3714 1225 3
Open Access Review
Transforming growth factor-β signaling: from tumor microenvironment to anticancer therapy
Max Kam-Kwan Chan ... Patrick Ming-Kuen Tang
Published: April 28, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:316–343
3833 80 18
Open Access Review
Gut microbiota, an emergent target to shape the efficiency of cancer therapy
Soumaya Kouidhi ... Amel Ben Ammar El Gaaied
Published: April 26, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:240–265
4016 84 16
Open Access Review
Cancer resistance via the downregulation of the tumor suppressors RKIP and PTEN expressions: therapeutic implications
Matthew Moghaddam ... Benjamin Bonavida
Published: April 20, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:170–207
2699 42 7
Open Access Perspective
A primer on cancer-associated fibroblast mechanics and immunosuppressive ability
Vanessa C. Talayero, Miguel Vicente-Manzanares
Published: February 20, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:17–27
1971 29 5
Open Access Review
New phase therapeutic pursuits for targeted drug delivery in glioblastoma multiforme
Manisha Singh ... Rachana
Published: December 30, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:866–888
2533 60 1
Open Access Original Article
Evaluating immune response in vitro in a relevant microenvironment: a high-throughput microfluidic model for clinical screening
Flora Doffe ... Pierre Savagner
Published: December 29, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:853–865
3139 114 2
Open Access Original Article
Dendritic cell-targeting chemokines inhibit colorectal cancer progression
Pengkun Yuan ... Bin Ma
Published: December 27, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:828–840
2328 31 6
Open Access Review
Mutant and non-mutant neoantigen-based cancer vaccines: recent advances and future promises
Mohamad Omar Ashi ... Stéphanie Corgnac
Published: December 22, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:746–762
2893 68 1
Open Access Review
The tumor innate immune microenvironment in prostate cancer: an overview of soluble factors and cellular effectors
Maria Teresa Palano ... Lorenzo Mortara
Published: October 31, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:694–718
2793 73 12
Open Access Review
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in colorectal cancer: prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets
Mohammad A. Al-Mterin, Eyad Elkord
Published: August 31, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:497–510
2906 61 7