About this Research Topic
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive overview of the various mechanisms of resistance to cancer immunotherapies identified to date, encompassing both extrinsic to intrinsic. Additionally, we aim to highlight the latest advances in understanding these mechanisms and the development of strategies to overcome them, both in preclinical and clinical settings.
We seek robust and interdisciplinary studies that contribute fresh insights into the biology of cancer immunotherapy response across various cancers. This includes exploration of novel therapies, adoption of new techniques (such as immune synapse studies), and application of multi-omics approaches (such as genome-wide CRISPR screenings, epigenomics, and metabolomics) using pertinent human and mouse models. Furthermore, we encourage the integration of studies from basic and clinical immunology with oncology to provide a more comprehensive perspective on immunology.
We invite submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Case Report, and Perspective articles covering any type of cancer. Topic of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Extrinsic mechanisms of resistance to cancer immunotherapies (e.g., tumor-associated macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, Tregs, age & gender, microbiota, tumor microenvironment physical conditions).
- Intrinsic mechanisms of resistance (e.g., immune synapse, immune checkpoints, alteration in signaling pathways—Interferons, MAPKs, antigen presentation-dependent vs. antigen presentation-independent therapies, epigenetics, cytokines, target downmodulation and alterations in antigen presentation machinery).
- Novel therapies and combinatorial strategies that overcome resistance to current immunotherapies.
We particularly encourage Original Research manuscripts with robust and relevant validation (both in vitro and in vivo), supported by clinical data if available. Manuscripts solely based on bioinformatic analysis of public databases without biological or clinical validation fall outside of the scope of this topic.
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.
Keywords: Cancer Immunotherapy, Resistance mechanisms, Extrinsic Mechanisms, Intrinsic Mechanisms, Novel therapies, Combinatorial Strategies, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Redirection of T cells, Bispecific Antibodies, CAR T cells, Solid Tumours, Haematological Tum
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.