• Special Issue Topic

    Cancer Immunotherapy and Tumor Microenvironment

    Submission Deadline: June 20, 2022

    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 Issue

    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

    Call for Papers

    Published Articles

    Open Access
    Perspective
    Potential tactics with certain gut microbiota for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes an extremely malignant form of primary liver cancer. Intricate connections linking to the immune system might be associated with the pathogenesis of HCC. M [...] Read more.
    Sayuri Yoshikawa ... Satoru Matsuda
    Published: August 24, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:556–568
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00152
    View:1405
    Download:587
    Open Access
    Perspective
    Potential tactics with vitamin D and certain phytochemicals for enhancing the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint blockade therapies
    Immunotherapy strategies targeting immune checkpoint molecules such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) are revolutionizing oncology. However,  [...] Read more.
    Ai Tsuji ... Satoru Matsuda
    Published: June 30, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:460–473
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00145
    View:1551
    Download:716
    Open Access
    Review
    Transforming growth factor-β signaling: from tumor microenvironment to anticancer therapy
    Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling is an important pathway for promoting the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including cancer. The roles of TGF-β signaling are heterogeneous and versatile in cancer developmen [...] Read more.
    Max Kam-Kwan Chan ... Patrick Ming-Kuen Tang
    Published: April 28, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:316–343
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00137
    View:1079
    Download:40
    Open Access
    Review
    Gut microbiota, an emergent target to shape the efficiency of cancer therapy
    It is now well-acknowledged that microbiota has a profound influence on both human health and illness. The gut microbiota has recently come to light as a crucial element that influences cancer throu [...] Read more.
    Soumaya Kouidhi ... Amel Ben Ammar El Gaaied
    Published: April 26, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:240–265
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00132
    View:1128
    Download:36
    Open Access
    Review
    Cancer resistance via the downregulation of the tumor suppressors RKIP and PTEN expressions: therapeutic implications
    The Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has been reported to be underexpressed in many cancers and plays a role in the regulation of tumor cells' survival, proliferation, invasion, and me [...] Read more.
    Matthew Moghaddam ... Benjamin Bonavida
    Published: April 20, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:170–207
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00128
    Open Access
    Perspective
    A primer on cancer-associated fibroblast mechanics and immunosuppressive ability
    Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major point of interest in modern oncology. Their interest resides in their ability to favor tumor growth without carrying genetic mutations. From a transl [...] Read more.
    Vanessa C. Talayero, Miguel Vicente-Manzanares
    Published: February 20, 2023 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2023;4:17–27
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2023.00120
    View:756
    Download:24
    Times Cited: 0
    Open Access
    Review
    New phase therapeutic pursuits for targeted drug delivery in glioblastoma multiforme
    Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is known as the most aggressive and prevalent brain tumor with a high mortality rate. It is reported in people who are as young as 10 years old to as old as over 70 years old, exhibiting inter and int [...] Read more.
    Manisha Singh ... Rachana
    Published: December 30, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:866–888
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00118
    View:1159
    Download:49
    Times Cited: 0
    Open Access
    Original Article
    Evaluating immune response in vitro in a relevant microenvironment: a high-throughput microfluidic model for clinical screening
    Aim: Functional screening of new pharmaceutical compounds requires clinically relevant models to monitor essential cellular and immune responses during cancer progression, with or without treatment. Beyond survival, the emergence  [...] Read more.
    Flora Doffe ... Pierre Savagner
    Published: December 29, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:853–865
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00117
    View:1021
    Download:54
    Times Cited: 0
    Open Access
    Original Article
    Dendritic cell-targeting chemokines inhibit colorectal cancer progression
    Aim: Recent progress in cancer immunotherapy has shown its promise and prompted researchers to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cell [...] Read more.
    Pengkun Yuan ... Bin Ma
    Published: December 27, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:828–840
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00115
    View:1019
    Download:26
    Open Access
    Review
    Mutant and non-mutant neoantigen-based cancer vaccines: recent advances and future promises
    Major advances in cancer treatment have emerged with the introduction of immunotherapies using blocking antibodies that target T-cell inhibitory receptors, such as programmed death-1 (PD-1) and cyto [...] Read more.
    Mohamad Omar Ashi ... Stéphanie Corgnac
    Published: December 22, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:746–762
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00111
    View:1188
    Download:54
    Times Cited: 0
    Open Access
    Review
    The tumor innate immune microenvironment in prostate cancer: an overview of soluble factors and cellular effectors
    Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts as the most common non-cutaneous disease affecting males, and as the first cancer, for incidence, in male. With the introduction of the concept of immunoscore, PCa has [...] Read more.
    Maria Teresa Palano ... Lorenzo Mortara
    Published: October 31, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:694–718
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00108
    View:1349
    Download:55
    Times Cited: 0
    Open Access
    Review
    Modulation of the antitumor immune response by cancer-associated fibroblasts: mechanisms and targeting strategies to hamper their immunosuppressive functions
    Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are highly heterogeneous players that shape the tumor microenvironment and influence tumor progression, metastasis formation, and response to conventional therap [...] Read more.
    Jerome Thiery
    Published: October 27, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:598–629
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00103
    View:1354
    Download:26
    Open Access
    Review
    Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in colorectal cancer: prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets
    Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a group of immature myeloid cells, which are expanded in most cancer patients. MDSCs suppress host immune responses, leading to cancer growth and progres [...] Read more.
    Mohammad A. Al-Mterin, Eyad Elkord
    Published: August 31, 2022 Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2022;3:497–510
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2022.00097
    View:1487
    Download:51