About this Research Topic
Cancer pathogenesis is a pathophysiological understanding of how molecular and cellular events play a causal role in transforming tumors from benign to malignant state. This often involves genetic, epigenetic, proteomic and metabolic alterations within solid tumors and blood cells. Besides cell intrinsic factors, tumors are also composed of stromal fibroblasts, blood vessel and immune cells that are also implicated in tumor progression. Immune evasion is another critical step of the cancer progression, wherein tumor cells modulate host immune system to escape from getting destroyed. Additionally, stemness in cancer cells is another acquired intrinsic ability of self-renewal, differentiation, heterogeneity and survival. Such properties give an edge to the tumors to maintain malignancy and confers treatment resistance. Most anti-cancer therapies that trigger cell death, senescence and/or dormancy and may backfire into maladaptive responses that lead to therapy resistance and promote tumor progression. Together these highlight the most challenging issues of cancer pathogenesis.
This Research Topic aims to summarize the cutting-edge research for the broader understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants involved in cancer initiation and progression, and their impact on the anti-tumor therapies and immune evasion. In summary, this topic will help researchers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the cancer pathogenesis, which can be used further in the development of novel therapies.
We would be interested in manuscripts falling into one of the following categories:
• Genetic and Epigenetic determinants of Cancer Initiation and Progression
• Modeling of cancer: From in vitro to in vivo
• Identifying cells involved in the Tumor micro-environment and their role in disease progression
• Mechanisms of Cancer stemness and heterogeneity
• Deciphering molecular and cellular involvement in immune infiltration, evasion and immunotherapy
• Investigating the mechanisms involved in cancer cell death, senescence and dormancy
• Determining the drivers of therapy-resistance and tumor relapse
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
This Research Topic aims to summarize the cutting-edge research for the broader understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants involved in cancer initiation and progression, and their impact on the anti-tumor therapies and immune evasion. In summary, this topic will help researchers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the cancer pathogenesis, which can be used further in the development of novel therapies.
We would be interested in manuscripts falling into one of the following categories:
• Genetic and Epigenetic determinants of Cancer Initiation and Progression
• Modeling of cancer: From in vitro to in vivo
• Identifying cells involved in the Tumor micro-environment and their role in disease progression
• Mechanisms of Cancer stemness and heterogeneity
• Deciphering molecular and cellular involvement in immune infiltration, evasion and immunotherapy
• Investigating the mechanisms involved in cancer cell death, senescence and dormancy
• Determining the drivers of therapy-resistance and tumor relapse
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords: Tumor progression, Clonal evolution, Immune responses, Immunotherapy, Cancer stemness, Tumor heterogeneity, Cell death, Senescence
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.
