Radiation therapy (RT) plays a crucial role in cancer treatment by inducing tumor cell death, releasing tumor antigens, altering cytokine profiles, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. It acts as an "in situ vaccine" by killing tumor cells and stimulating the immune system through the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Understanding these interactions is essential for developing combined therapies that integrate RT with other treatment modalities, such as immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs), to achieve synergistic effects and improve clinical outcomes. The concept of the abscopal effect, where localized RT initiates systemic antitumor responses, highlights RT's potential to fortify systemic immunity.
The primary goal of this Research Topic is to enhance our understanding of RT’s impact on immune responses across various cancer types. By collating a range of studies, we aim to shed new light on the clinical implications of these interactions and identify innovative strategies to leverage RT-induced immune modulation for therapeutic advantage. This includes investigating the mechanisms through which RT influences immune cells and the tumor microenvironment, identifying predictive biomarkers for response and toxicity, and refining combined therapeutic strategies that incorporate RT, immunotherapy, and RDCs. Addressing these areas, we aspire to pave the path for more efficient, personalized cancer treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding RT’s clinical application in oncology.
We invite contributions encompassing a broad spectrum of topics within this domain, including but not limited to:
• Mechanistic inquiries into how RT affects immune cells and the tumor microenvironment.
• Clinical studies exploring the outcomes of combining RT with immunotherapy.
• Investigations into radioimmunotherapy and radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs) as emerging modalities in cancer treatment.
• Preclinical models unraveling the synergistic effects of RT and immune modulation.
• Integrated strategies, including merging RT with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
• Discovery and validation of predictive biomarkers for toxicity and efficacy in RT and combined therapies.
• Reviews of current understanding and future trajectories in RT and tumor immunology.
• Perspectives discussing innovative ideas and trend shifts in the field.
We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and stimulating perspectives. Submissions should aim to offer new insights, challenge existing frameworks, and propose trailblazing therapeutic strategies potentially translatable into clinical practice.
Keywords:
Radiation therapy, tumor immunology, tumor microenvironment, clinical applications, biomarkers, radioimmunotherapy, radionuclide drug conjugate (RDC)
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.
Radiation therapy (RT) plays a crucial role in cancer treatment by inducing tumor cell death, releasing tumor antigens, altering cytokine profiles, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. It acts as an "in situ vaccine" by killing tumor cells and stimulating the immune system through the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Understanding these interactions is essential for developing combined therapies that integrate RT with other treatment modalities, such as immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs), to achieve synergistic effects and improve clinical outcomes. The concept of the abscopal effect, where localized RT initiates systemic antitumor responses, highlights RT's potential to fortify systemic immunity.
The primary goal of this Research Topic is to enhance our understanding of RT’s impact on immune responses across various cancer types. By collating a range of studies, we aim to shed new light on the clinical implications of these interactions and identify innovative strategies to leverage RT-induced immune modulation for therapeutic advantage. This includes investigating the mechanisms through which RT influences immune cells and the tumor microenvironment, identifying predictive biomarkers for response and toxicity, and refining combined therapeutic strategies that incorporate RT, immunotherapy, and RDCs. Addressing these areas, we aspire to pave the path for more efficient, personalized cancer treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding RT’s clinical application in oncology.
We invite contributions encompassing a broad spectrum of topics within this domain, including but not limited to:
• Mechanistic inquiries into how RT affects immune cells and the tumor microenvironment.
• Clinical studies exploring the outcomes of combining RT with immunotherapy.
• Investigations into radioimmunotherapy and radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs) as emerging modalities in cancer treatment.
• Preclinical models unraveling the synergistic effects of RT and immune modulation.
• Integrated strategies, including merging RT with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
• Discovery and validation of predictive biomarkers for toxicity and efficacy in RT and combined therapies.
• Reviews of current understanding and future trajectories in RT and tumor immunology.
• Perspectives discussing innovative ideas and trend shifts in the field.
We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and stimulating perspectives. Submissions should aim to offer new insights, challenge existing frameworks, and propose trailblazing therapeutic strategies potentially translatable into clinical practice.
Keywords:
Radiation therapy, tumor immunology, tumor microenvironment, clinical applications, biomarkers, radioimmunotherapy, radionuclide drug conjugate (RDC)
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.