High plasticity represents a key characteristic of innate and adaptive immune cells, which allows multi-directional transition of them into diverse phenotypes with different (even opposite in most cases) functions in response to various stimuli. The significance of such a property is further highlighted by recent discoveries on an increasing number of new phenotypes of immune cells, particularly under pathological conditions involving neoplasia and many non-malignant disorders, due to the wide application of single-cell analyzing technologies (e.g., single-cell sequencing, CyTOF, etc.). Mechanistically, the phenotypic transition (or polarization) occurs via the reprogramming of gene expression at the transcriptional level that is primarily driven by complex and interactive machinery involving microenvironment, intracellular signaling, transcription factors, epigenetic remodeling, and metabolic rewiring. Therefore, a burst of basic, translational, and clinical research in these and other relevant areas is currently emerging, which would be expected to provide much deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying immune cell plasticity in cancer and non-cancer diseases as well as much more potential targets or biomarkers for precision medicine of various diseases.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to advance research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the high plasticity of innate and adaptive immune cells via epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional regulation, as well as their contribution to pathogenesis and/or immune microenvironment of cancer and non-cancer diseases. We aim to explore innovative mechanism-based targeted interventions to find a way out of the dilemma involving the anti-inflammatory therapy of these disorders.
In this Research Topic, subtopics could include but are not limited to the following:
1) Identification of new phenotypes or subtypes of innate or adaptive immune cells and characterization of their functions, especially in specified pathological conditions (including cancer or non-cancer diseases).
2) Mechanisms underlying the phenotypic transition or polarization and functions of immune cells, particularly involving epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional regulation.
3) Discovery of novel targets and biomarkers for the development of anti-inflammatory therapy in the treatment of cancer or non-cancer diseases.
4) Development of new therapeutic strategies, agents, or approaches targeting the mechanisms or specific molecules involving inflammation (particularly chronic and non-resolving inflammation).
5) Translational and clinical studies of inflammation-targeted therapeutics and regimens for treating cancer and non-cancer diseases.
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.
High plasticity represents a key characteristic of innate and adaptive immune cells, which allows multi-directional transition of them into diverse phenotypes with different (even opposite in most cases) functions in response to various stimuli. The significance of such a property is further highlighted by recent discoveries on an increasing number of new phenotypes of immune cells, particularly under pathological conditions involving neoplasia and many non-malignant disorders, due to the wide application of single-cell analyzing technologies (e.g., single-cell sequencing, CyTOF, etc.). Mechanistically, the phenotypic transition (or polarization) occurs via the reprogramming of gene expression at the transcriptional level that is primarily driven by complex and interactive machinery involving microenvironment, intracellular signaling, transcription factors, epigenetic remodeling, and metabolic rewiring. Therefore, a burst of basic, translational, and clinical research in these and other relevant areas is currently emerging, which would be expected to provide much deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying immune cell plasticity in cancer and non-cancer diseases as well as much more potential targets or biomarkers for precision medicine of various diseases.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to advance research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the high plasticity of innate and adaptive immune cells via epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional regulation, as well as their contribution to pathogenesis and/or immune microenvironment of cancer and non-cancer diseases. We aim to explore innovative mechanism-based targeted interventions to find a way out of the dilemma involving the anti-inflammatory therapy of these disorders.
In this Research Topic, subtopics could include but are not limited to the following:
1) Identification of new phenotypes or subtypes of innate or adaptive immune cells and characterization of their functions, especially in specified pathological conditions (including cancer or non-cancer diseases).
2) Mechanisms underlying the phenotypic transition or polarization and functions of immune cells, particularly involving epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional regulation.
3) Discovery of novel targets and biomarkers for the development of anti-inflammatory therapy in the treatment of cancer or non-cancer diseases.
4) Development of new therapeutic strategies, agents, or approaches targeting the mechanisms or specific molecules involving inflammation (particularly chronic and non-resolving inflammation).
5) Translational and clinical studies of inflammation-targeted therapeutics and regimens for treating cancer and non-cancer diseases.
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.