About this Research Topic
In the recent years, immunotherapies including monoclonal antibodies that trigger anti-tumor activity, or genetically engineered T cells have revolutionized the treatment of cancer patients. However, only a limited number of patients respond to immune-checkpoint blockade and mechanisms of primary or acquired resistance are not sufficiently understood. It is therefore necessary to further optimize the benefits of these therapies that aim at reactivating the immune system to fight against the tumor B-cells. To this end, an in-depth characterization of tumor-associated immune cells and other accessory cells and their complex interactions with malignant cells within the tumor microenvironment will be crucial to identify new therapeutic targets and to develop successful combination treatment strategies including immunomodulatory drugs.
In this research topic, we welcome Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Case Reports, Clinical Trials, Methods, and Perspectives that address the complexity of tumor immunology in lymphoid malignancies. The following topics are of particular interest:
- Studies that characterize cells (stromal and immune cells) and extracellular factors (cytokines, extracellular vesicles, metabolites) and their crosstalk within the microenvironment of B-cell malignancies
- Pre-clinical or clinical studies investigating immune escape mechanisms
- Pre-clinical or clinical studies investigating tumor-supportive cells and their mode-of-action in the microenvironment
- Clinical trials of new therapeutic agents targeting the tumor microenvironment, including immunotherapies (e.g. immune checkpoint inhibitors, engineered T or NK cells)
- Studies that describe the cellular response to immunotherapies during the course of the treatment
- Prediction of patients who could benefit from these therapies (predictive biomarkers)
- Mechanistic studies focusing on signaling pathways and cytokines within the tumor microenvironment that lead to tumor support or inhibition of anti-tumor immunity
Topic Editor MS received funding from Bayer AG.
Keywords: tumor microenvironment, tumor immunology, immune checkpoint blockade, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, immunotherapy, immune evasion, stromal cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, T-cell exhaustion, B-cell neoplasms
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