Hallmark of Cancer: Sustained Proliferative Signalling

Over two decades from the first publication of the Hallmarks of Cancer, proposed in the millennium by Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg, the landscape of cancer research has changed significantly. In 2010, a total of ten hallmarks (six established and four emerging) were solidified to provide a set of criteria to describe how normal, healthy cells can eventually transform to malignant tumours through a successive number of emerging characteristics.

Over time, it has been confirmed that tumours are comprised of a plethora of heterogenic cell types, interacting and communicating to build resistance against therapies, innate defence mechanisms and drive proliferation. Furthermore, it is more thoroughly understood now how exactly the tumour microenvironment influences disease progression and clinical outcomes something the more recent hallmarks contribute significantly to. By understanding such processes and integrating the interactions they form with novel therapeutics, we can develop a deeper understanding of how mutagenic cells form and survive.

We at Frontiers would like to commemorate the incredible research and advancements made surrounding these principles over the last decade by introducing this special series within our Oncology Journal. By collecting pioneering research focusing on these principles, we hope to allow for Open Access platforms to drive the next decade of change and technological growth within the oncology field. In this initiative, we want to focus on the many aspects involved in Cancer treatment. From diagnostics, therapies and management, it is imperative to understand how they all fit together within the Hallmarks of Cancer to benefit the patient and pioneer research. Furthermore, we want to explore recent research in the emerging hallmarks identified a decade ago to honour recent advances made within that particular area. While simultaneously horizon scanning and looking to the future of where this might take us.

Hallmark of Cancer: Sustained Proliferative Signalling

Fundamentally, cancer is the uncontrolled proliferation of cells. The process that is usually meticulously regulated by cellular and molecular mechanisms, has been damaged or hijacked by the cancer cell to provide a constant stream of cellular signals to encourage replication, growth and signalling. From autocrine signalling to the constitutive activation of signalling nodes these changes have long-reaching effects on cell survival, replication, proliferation and motility. Cell signalling and its pathways are an attractive target for many therapies. In this special issue, we would like to focus on how the components of these pathways can become malignant and how we can target them therapeutically.

This Research Topic welcomes high-quality Original Research and Review, and Perspective articles highlighting the changes in our understanding of molecular and cellular signalling and postulating where we can progress from here. We aim to celebrate the advances made within the last ten years and the many to come.

See below for other collections in the Hallmarks series:
Hallmark of Cancer: Avoiding Immune Suppression
Hallmark of Cancer: Genomic Instability and Mutations
Hallmark of Cancer: Resisting Cell Death
Hallmark of Cancer: Sustained Proliferative
Hallmark of Cancer: Inducing Angiogenesis
Hallmark of Cancer: Replicative Immortality
Hallmark of Cancer: Evasion of Growth Suppressors
Hallmark of Cancer: Reprogramming of Cellular Metabolism
Hallmark of Cancer: Activating Invasion and Metastasis
Hallmark of Cancer: Tumor Promoting Inflammation


Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.