Recently there has been an explosion of knowledge about the mechanisms of immune balance and regulation in the fields of cancer and pregnancy. The immunotolerance mechanism is critical for normal pregnancy and this mechanism was developed during the evolution of mammalian species and is essential for species survival. Cancer, which was developed much more recently during evolution, appears to utilize the same ancient mechanism to escape the immune attack by the host. It often manifests as inflammation. A diverse range of physiology and pathology in reproduction and cancer appears to be governed by common mechanisms of immunology. Applications of these newly discovered mechanisms have led to significant progress in cancer immunotherapy and the treatment of immune-related pregnancy disorders. A better understanding of the common themes of these essential mechanisms governing these diverse fields of disease is urgently needed.
In this Research Topic, we aim to focus on the most recent advancements in the understanding of common immune regulatory mechanisms in pregnancy and cancer and their clinical applications. Such understanding has led to significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy and has huge potential for the management of immunology-related pregnancy disorders as well as autoimmune diseases and infections including the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection. In particular, there has been an increasing appreciation that common mechanisms of immune regulation would affect both pathogeneses of cancer and pregnancy disorders in the form of inflammation. An in-depth understanding of these common mechanisms would benefit many patients. For example, extensive advancement in cancer immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint pathways has led to the realization that such pathways also play a pivotal role in pregnancy immunology and dysfunction of which may lead to spontaneous abortion. Blocking antibody of IgG4 has been found to be increased in both cancer and pregnancy, playing an important role in both events.
Authoritative Reviews and Original Research articles concentrating on these common immunological mechanisms would make significant contributions to the basic sciences and clinical practice of these two events. The subtopics could include but are not limited to the following:
1. Discoveries of common immune regulatory mechanisms governing reproduction and cancer across different organ systems. (Review and Original Research)
2. Immune escape mechanisms for cancer development, growth, metastasis, and related emerging immunotherapies. (Original Research)
3. Immune balance during pregnancy including maternal immune rejection and embryo/fetus-driven immune defense mechanisms. Management of pregnancy diseases related to these mechanisms. (Original Research)
4. Newly unveiled common mechanisms of immune tolerance for other diseases such as autoimmune diseases, surgical transplants, and infectious diseases including COVID-19 infection. (Original Research)
Keywords: Common Mechanisms, Immunological Tolerance, Reproduction, 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.
