Organoids, Organs-on-Chip, nanoparticles and In Silico Approaches to Dissect the Tumor-Immune Dynamics and to Unveil the Drug Resistance Mechanisms to Therapy in the Tumor Microenvironment

  • 31k

    Total downloads

  • 101k

    Total views and downloads

Download PDFDownload EPUB

Submit your idea

Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

In the last decades, immunology and oncology made giant steps thanks to the great improvements in emerging complex biotechniques employed by researchers. These become always more sophisticated and have improved our knowledge of the important concepts and scenarios of the tumor microenvironment. The emerging field of immuno-oncology has been set up by the discovery that immunity can bridge cancer through the intimate interaction of the immune cells with tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment.

3D systems deserve particular attention, due to their decisive role to mimic the cell-cell environments. Spheroids represent the first and successful attempt to culture cells (of primary and tumor nature) in a 3D architecture. The direct evolution of these systems is represented by organoids, which can be defined as primary cells closely resembling their derivative organ. Among this category, there are the tumor organoids, which can be defined as organoids where the 3D architecture of the cancer cells also contains the infiltrating immune cells and can be evaluated as a single complex multicellular system, such as mouse or patient-derived tumor organoids.

3D bioprinting is another recent and innovative biotool allowing the recapitulation of the 3D moiety of a tumor with their matrix proteins and cells. These methods are emerging as valid tools to evaluate the effect of drugs in cancer to study drug resistance to tumors. If properly optimized, they can represent valid alternatives to in vivo models and can deeply impact personalized medicine in the context of immuno-oncology.
Other platforms to study the interactions between tumor cells and immune cells are represented by Organs-on-Chip systems. Created to study organ behavior in ad hoc closed compartments, these devices are now largely exploited in the field of tumor immunology to investigate the multifaceted tumor microenvironment cues. These systems are usually represented by ad hoc fabricated microfluidic chips with defined compartmental units and are coupled to complex microscope systems to follow the cell-cell interactions in real-time.

The fast growth of computer technology led machine learning systems and advanced mathematical algorithms to become valid tools for the automation of experimental processes and faster data collection coming from cell-cell interaction studies. Machine learning is also central to the development of in silico experiments, which will allow the collection of precious data for the optimization of in vivo or in vitro experimental settings. Therefore, machine learning systems used for organoid and organs-on-chip investigations represent another important argument fitting with this Research Topic.

The intensive use of these models boosted the findings revealed in the area of cancer research. This Research Topic will collect impact articles on how the development of advanced in vitro models, such as tumor spheroids, mouse or patient-derived organoids, and microfluidic devices has led to advanced knowledge of the tumor microenvironment. In parallel, review and research articles on recent advances in in silico models to be used in onco-immunology and to evaluate cancer therapy will also be considered.

This Research Topic will welcome the submission of research articles and reviews on the following themes:

• Mouse or human spheroid models (tumor spheroids);
• Mouse organoids for tumor studies and to investigate drug mechanisms/resistance
• Human or patient-derived organoids for drug resistance investigations or studies on particular aspects of the tumor microenvironment
• Exosomes and other extracellular vesicles released by tumor spheroids and organoids
• 3D bioprinting platforms for tumor microenvironment and drug resistance evaluations
• Other novel 3D models for drug resistance investigations or to recapitulate the tumor microenvironment.
• Nanoparticle-based approaches in drug resistance studies with spheroids and organoids.
• 3D Organs-on-chip systems for tumor studies: microfluidic devices and advanced organs-on-chip platforms for drug resistance
• Transcriptome and proteome analysis in spheroid, organoid, and organ-on-chip models of the tumor microenvironment
• Machine learning systems and algorithms for high-throughput studies with 3D systems: ad hoc scripts for automation of processes, decision-making systems for automated evaluation of results, advanced imaging, and time-lapse analysis, and automated evaluation of cell-cell interactions
• In silico experimental modeling of the tumor microenvironment and drug resistance studies upon cancer therapy

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.

Keywords: Drug Resistance Mechanisms, Tumor Microenvironment, immuno-oncology, cancer

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 101kTopic views
  • 68kArticle views
  • 31kArticle downloads
View impact