Immunotoxicology is an exclusive discipline originated in the early 1970s that is dedicated to the study of unintended modulation of immune system by xenobiotics such as pharmacological agents’ (BPA and phthalates), environmental pollutants (mercury) etc. These immuno-toxicants affect both innate and adaptive immunity, and further activate numerous signaling pathways that are regulated in cancer and autoimmune disease.

Presently, immunotoxicity is assessed by relying on different in vitro and in vivo models, utilizing high throughput immune-assessment assays or techniques. Advancements in the management of life-threatening disease may lead to an increase in immunotoxicity. Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)T cells therapy have taken the frontstage in the treatment of life-threatening diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity.
Besides innovative management, immunotherapy has obvious complexity and uncertainty due to antigenic heterogenicity, moreover the resistance mechanism needs to be determined. To meet the demand for innovative tools, certain agents have been restructured for cancer treatment. However, upon further review, it is important to consider that these modifications could potentially lead to inflammatory diseases, exacerbating pre-existing conditions and compromising immune regulation.
Immunotoxicology has a broad horizon as it evolves from the basic concepts of biology and has accommodated new concepts/advanced technology for the assessment of safety of sophisticated drugs/products that are ready for manufacture. Significantly, various immunotoxins are not effectively scrutinized through standard screening procedure for immunotoxicity and thus the most important immune vulnerabilities remain unanswered. To understand such immune system complexity, there is a need to standardize more predictive assessment protocol for targeting the distinct vulnerabilities of the perinatal immune system compared with the fully matured and dispersed immune system of the adult.

This Research Topic aims to explore the potential of immunotoxicology in improving the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy treatments through comprehensive immunological testing. We invite submissions of manuscripts investigating the immunological response triggered by various immunotherapy modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy, and monoclonal antibodies, from an immunotoxicology perspective.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• in vitro and in vivo evaluations
• immunotherapy on immune cell function,
• cytokine release
• overall immune system regulation
• impact of life stage and timing of exposure (for example a higher risk of immune effects in infants and children)
• the function and the self-renewal of certain tissues (for example alveolar macrophages, hepatic (kupffer cells) and neurologic (microglia))

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Frontiers in Toxicology

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