The bone/bone marrow microenvironment is a very heterogeneous and fascinating microenvironment reacting to either physiological or pathological conditions. Among the different functions, the bone/bone marrow microenvironment represents the “home” of cancer cells deriving from different types of primary tumors able to spread into the bone. The interactions taking place in this mixed environment can determine the cell fate impacting the clinical outcomes of the cancer disease. Indeed, the bone marrow is making by a variety of cell types, including the immune cells, interacting with tumor cells at different level, that impact the tumor cell proliferation and survival. Moreover, the bone marrow “hosts” cellular niches, such as endosteal, vascular and immune niches, that have been shown to mediate the long term tumor cell dormancy and reactivation leading to tumor relapse. In particular, the immune system have been proved to regulates the tumor cells behavioral in the bone marrow by either rejecting cancer cells or helping them to make bone metastasis.
Overall, we can consider the bone/bone marrow microenvironment as an airport hub that regulates the “tumor cell trafficking” redirecting them to cellular dormancy or quiescence, to spread into distal tissues or to growth and make bone metastases. In this context, the immune cells play a central role impacting on the tumor cells fate.
Over the years, many studies have dissected the mechanisms underlining the cellular interactions regulating the tumor cells behavior in the bone/bone marrow microenvironment and the role of immune system in this network of interaction. Nevertheless, there are still unknown mechanisms and players in this complex cellular puzzle that need to be investigated. For this reason, in this Research Topic we want to give to the reader a comprehensive view on “where we are” and “where we can go” in the near future, also providing a clinical and therapeutic perspective.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Protocol, Method, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Perspective and Opinion articles with a major focus on immunological aspects related to the following topics:
• Role of bone/bone marrow cells in regulating tumor cells fate
• Impact of the tumor cell on the bone/bone marrow microenvironment
• Interplay between the bone morrow niches and tumor cells
• Interplay between the mesenchymal and hematopoietic compartments with tumor cells
• Interplay between the immune system and tumor cell in the bone/bone marrow microenvironment
• Immune system escape and mimicry
• Detection of bone/bone marrow colonizing tumor cells and interactions with immune cells
The bone/bone marrow microenvironment is a very heterogeneous and fascinating microenvironment reacting to either physiological or pathological conditions. Among the different functions, the bone/bone marrow microenvironment represents the “home” of cancer cells deriving from different types of primary tumors able to spread into the bone. The interactions taking place in this mixed environment can determine the cell fate impacting the clinical outcomes of the cancer disease. Indeed, the bone marrow is making by a variety of cell types, including the immune cells, interacting with tumor cells at different level, that impact the tumor cell proliferation and survival. Moreover, the bone marrow “hosts” cellular niches, such as endosteal, vascular and immune niches, that have been shown to mediate the long term tumor cell dormancy and reactivation leading to tumor relapse. In particular, the immune system have been proved to regulates the tumor cells behavioral in the bone marrow by either rejecting cancer cells or helping them to make bone metastasis.
Overall, we can consider the bone/bone marrow microenvironment as an airport hub that regulates the “tumor cell trafficking” redirecting them to cellular dormancy or quiescence, to spread into distal tissues or to growth and make bone metastases. In this context, the immune cells play a central role impacting on the tumor cells fate.
Over the years, many studies have dissected the mechanisms underlining the cellular interactions regulating the tumor cells behavior in the bone/bone marrow microenvironment and the role of immune system in this network of interaction. Nevertheless, there are still unknown mechanisms and players in this complex cellular puzzle that need to be investigated. For this reason, in this Research Topic we want to give to the reader a comprehensive view on “where we are” and “where we can go” in the near future, also providing a clinical and therapeutic perspective.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Protocol, Method, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Perspective and Opinion articles with a major focus on immunological aspects related to the following topics:
• Role of bone/bone marrow cells in regulating tumor cells fate
• Impact of the tumor cell on the bone/bone marrow microenvironment
• Interplay between the bone morrow niches and tumor cells
• Interplay between the mesenchymal and hematopoietic compartments with tumor cells
• Interplay between the immune system and tumor cell in the bone/bone marrow microenvironment
• Immune system escape and mimicry
• Detection of bone/bone marrow colonizing tumor cells and interactions with immune cells