Tumor-draining lymph nodes

Immunomodulation and immune dysregulation are critically important research areas for understanding and treating local and systemic diseases, such as cancer. Lymph nodes play a vital role in developing tumor-specific effector responses, as they comprise all the necessary cell types organized in specific microanatomical compartments to render adaptive immune responses. However, the lymph node closest to the primary tumor, known as the draining lymph node, is usually the first metastatic site in most cancers. This could be due to the convergence of the lymphatic vessels in the lymph node, which concentrates tumor-derived soluble factors and cells. Moreover, this suggests the existence of necessary immunotolerance, as proposed by the “seed and soil” hypothesis, which in turn may lead to protumoral responses and/or insufficient antitumoral effector responses. Therefore, tumor-draining lymph nodes offer a holistic perspective for studying immunomodulation and immune dysregulation.

Although the use of antitumoral immune therapies, such as checkpoint inhibition, is becoming more common, it is still difficult to identify patients who will benefit from existing therapies, even within the same tumor type. Gaining a better understanding of the tumor-derived immunomodulation that occurs in draining lymph nodes is crucial to the development of effective immunotherapy strategies. However, current therapeutic concepts are primarily based on the endpoint response of effector cells in tumors, while the critical role that tumor-draining lymph nodes have on shaping this response has largely been neglected. By studying the interplay between the primary tumor and its draining lymph nodes, we can gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of immune responses during tumor growth. The findings from these studies could enhance our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that promote the development of permissive niches for metastatic growth, ultimately leading to the development of innovative immunotherapeutic strategies that can effectively target these pathways. Moreover, spatial and functional analyses of primary tumors and their corresponding draining lymph nodes may identify protective or detrimental molecular and structural patterns. Identification of these patterns, including those which may be present in other types of lymphadenopathies, will inform strategies for therapeutic interventions.

We welcome the submission of manuscripts that investigate tumors, and/or with their draining lymph node in an immunological context. This could cover, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Lymph node metastasis
• Lymph node invasion from organ metastasis at distant sites
• Early dissemination to lymph nodes and micro-metastasis
• Functional analyses to analyze interactions between tumors and their draining lymph node
• Relationship between the response to immunotherapy and the tumor draining lymph node

We encourage research studies founded on human data is welcome. If an entire research project is constructed solely on animal models, it is essential to emphasize the potential applicability of the findings in the human context.

Please note manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this topic.