About this Research Topic
The field of cancer research has been significantly impacted by the discovery of cellular plasticity mechanisms, which allow cancer cells to modify their phenotype and function. This adaptability not
only influences the tumour microenvironment (TME) but is also affected by it. The ability of cancer cells to change has been linked to dormancy, tumour progression, metastasis, immune evasion, and
treatment resistance. The dynamic relationship between cancer cells and 'normal' cells within the TME contributes to the shaping of each other, affecting treatment outcomes. Therefore, understanding the interactions between tumour cells and TME cells that drive plasticity is crucial for addressing therapeutic resistance.
This research topic aims to delve deeper into the cross-talk between cancer cells and other cells within the TME. It seeks to explore the role of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors in tumour plasticity, including the patient's innate immunity, local and systemic inflammation levels,
microbiome balance, and the impact of stress. The research also aims to understand the heterogeneity within tumours and across patients, as well as the adaptive changes that occur within the tumour and patient, including those resulting from cancer treatments that can contribute to cross-resistance.
The scope of this research is limited to studies that contribute to understanding the interactions between cancer cells, other cells within the TME and various host factors that contribute to
immunity, therapeutic resistance, and patient outcomes. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The role of the patient's innate immunity in tumour plasticity
- The impact of local and systemic inflammation on cancer cell adaptability
- The influence of the microbiome balance on tumour progression
- The effect of stress levels on treatment resistance
- The contribution of heterogeneity within tumours, the TME, and across patients, to therapeutic
resistance
- The adaptive changes occurring within the tumours, the TME, and patients due to cancer
treatments.
Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public
genomic or transcriptomic databases, which are not accompanied by validation, are out of scope for
this section and will not be accepted as part of this research topic.
only influences the tumour microenvironment (TME) but is also affected by it. The ability of cancer cells to change has been linked to dormancy, tumour progression, metastasis, immune evasion, and
treatment resistance. The dynamic relationship between cancer cells and 'normal' cells within the TME contributes to the shaping of each other, affecting treatment outcomes. Therefore, understanding the interactions between tumour cells and TME cells that drive plasticity is crucial for addressing therapeutic resistance.
This research topic aims to delve deeper into the cross-talk between cancer cells and other cells within the TME. It seeks to explore the role of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors in tumour plasticity, including the patient's innate immunity, local and systemic inflammation levels,
microbiome balance, and the impact of stress. The research also aims to understand the heterogeneity within tumours and across patients, as well as the adaptive changes that occur within the tumour and patient, including those resulting from cancer treatments that can contribute to cross-resistance.
The scope of this research is limited to studies that contribute to understanding the interactions between cancer cells, other cells within the TME and various host factors that contribute to
immunity, therapeutic resistance, and patient outcomes. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The role of the patient's innate immunity in tumour plasticity
- The impact of local and systemic inflammation on cancer cell adaptability
- The influence of the microbiome balance on tumour progression
- The effect of stress levels on treatment resistance
- The contribution of heterogeneity within tumours, the TME, and across patients, to therapeutic
resistance
- The adaptive changes occurring within the tumours, the TME, and patients due to cancer
treatments.
Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public
genomic or transcriptomic databases, which are not accompanied by validation, are out of scope for
this section and will not be accepted as part of this research topic.
Keywords: cancer cell plasticity, tumour microenvironment (TME), immunity, patient outcomes, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), adaptability, treatment resistance, therapy response, host factors, survival, tumour immune microenvironment (TIME)
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.
