The interaction between immune cells and tumor cells has been proposed for many years. The past decade has witnessed the development of both basic theories and translational applications regarding the mobilization of immune cells for cancer treatment. Whereas most studies have been focusing on the immune cells that primarily reside in the lymphoid organs and traffic to the sites of tumor transformation, it has been noticed that some immune cells are retained in tissues or organs in a hematopoiesis independent manner. These "tissue-resident immune cells" may be stratified into two classes: (1) cells that are derived from yolk-sac or develop pre-/perinatally, which form self-renewing populations in certain organs at the early stage of development; (2) cells derived from bone marrow that infiltrate into specific tissues mostly during pathological processes. The former includes microglia in the brain, Kupffer cells in the liver, Langerhans cells in the epidermis, and alveolar macrophages in the lung, and the latter includes tissue-resident memory T cells and NK cells in many organs. Accumulating evidence has suggested the pivotal roles of tissue-resident immune cells in tumor microenvironment. A better understanding of these cells and their interactions with tumor cells may ultimately lead to novel treatment approaches and improved patient care in the future.
Tissue-resident immune cells often have unique molecular markers that could distinguish them from circulating immune cells. Transcriptome studies have demonstrated the distinct transcriptional profiles of tissue-resident immune cells. Their differentiation and activation are likely under the control of a set of tissue- or organ-specific cytokines. Retention of tissue-resident immune cells is subject to their adaptation to the tissue of residency, where they could be maintained for a long period of time. Tissue-resident immune cells may function independently or in cooperation with other immune cells. Although many reports indicate the anti-tumor activities of tissue-resident immune cells, these cells may have pro-tumor functions. In summary, up to now, we have only limited knowledge about phenotype, differentiation, trafficking, tissue retention, and function of tissue-resident immune cells in cancers. The goal of this Research Topic is to advance knowledge related to the molecular features, regulatory mechanisms, and tumor-associated functions of tissue-resident immune cells.
We welcome authors to submit Original Research, Systematic Review, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles focusing on new findings in the following areas:
• Molecular markers that can define tissue-resident immune cells in the specific organ of residency
• Mechanisms regulating the retention, renewal, differentiation, and migration of tissue-resident immune cells and their alteration in cancers
• Mechanisms on signaling molecules including cytokines, metabolites, non-coding RNAs, etc. derived from tissue-resident immune cells
• Communications between tissue-resident immune cells and tumor cells, stromal cells, vascular cells, and immune cells in tumor microenvironment
• Metabolic reprogramming of tissue-resident immune cells in cancer
• Therapeutic strategies targeting tissue-resident immune cells for cancer treatment
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
The interaction between immune cells and tumor cells has been proposed for many years. The past decade has witnessed the development of both basic theories and translational applications regarding the mobilization of immune cells for cancer treatment. Whereas most studies have been focusing on the immune cells that primarily reside in the lymphoid organs and traffic to the sites of tumor transformation, it has been noticed that some immune cells are retained in tissues or organs in a hematopoiesis independent manner. These "tissue-resident immune cells" may be stratified into two classes: (1) cells that are derived from yolk-sac or develop pre-/perinatally, which form self-renewing populations in certain organs at the early stage of development; (2) cells derived from bone marrow that infiltrate into specific tissues mostly during pathological processes. The former includes microglia in the brain, Kupffer cells in the liver, Langerhans cells in the epidermis, and alveolar macrophages in the lung, and the latter includes tissue-resident memory T cells and NK cells in many organs. Accumulating evidence has suggested the pivotal roles of tissue-resident immune cells in tumor microenvironment. A better understanding of these cells and their interactions with tumor cells may ultimately lead to novel treatment approaches and improved patient care in the future.
Tissue-resident immune cells often have unique molecular markers that could distinguish them from circulating immune cells. Transcriptome studies have demonstrated the distinct transcriptional profiles of tissue-resident immune cells. Their differentiation and activation are likely under the control of a set of tissue- or organ-specific cytokines. Retention of tissue-resident immune cells is subject to their adaptation to the tissue of residency, where they could be maintained for a long period of time. Tissue-resident immune cells may function independently or in cooperation with other immune cells. Although many reports indicate the anti-tumor activities of tissue-resident immune cells, these cells may have pro-tumor functions. In summary, up to now, we have only limited knowledge about phenotype, differentiation, trafficking, tissue retention, and function of tissue-resident immune cells in cancers. The goal of this Research Topic is to advance knowledge related to the molecular features, regulatory mechanisms, and tumor-associated functions of tissue-resident immune cells.
We welcome authors to submit Original Research, Systematic Review, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles focusing on new findings in the following areas:
• Molecular markers that can define tissue-resident immune cells in the specific organ of residency
• Mechanisms regulating the retention, renewal, differentiation, and migration of tissue-resident immune cells and their alteration in cancers
• Mechanisms on signaling molecules including cytokines, metabolites, non-coding RNAs, etc. derived from tissue-resident immune cells
• Communications between tissue-resident immune cells and tumor cells, stromal cells, vascular cells, and immune cells in tumor microenvironment
• Metabolic reprogramming of tissue-resident immune cells in cancer
• Therapeutic strategies targeting tissue-resident immune cells for cancer treatment
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
