The maintenance of immune homeostasis is pivotal for metabolic balance and health, distinguishing self from non-self and neutralizing pathogenic threats. This equilibrium is intricately managed by the diverse and heterogeneous activities of effector and regulatory immune cells. Dysregulation of this balance is implicated in a spectrum of inflammatory pathologies, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), sepsis, sicca syndrome, hepatitis, autoimmune neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and various cancers.
The current treatments for inflammatory diseases predominantly involve the systemic administration of non-specific small molecules, which, despite their efficacy, result in broad immunosuppression and can have undesirable side effects. In contrast, biological drugs offer a targeted approach to therapy, providing clinical benefits by altering immune cell trafficking, modulating the activation state of diverse immune cells, or inducing specific cellular depletion. Recent studies on the aberrant pathways in inflammatory diseases have significantly advanced the development of small-molecule therapies, enhancing our understanding of the cellular mechanisms that contribute to a balanced immune response. Selective Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been particularly successful, with several being approved for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).
In the field of oncology, a series of molecular events—such as cellular senescence, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic reprogramming—have been demonstrated to be closely linked to the heterogeneity of immune cell infiltration. This link has been crucial for improving the precision of prognosis prediction and the development of novel therapeutic compounds. The tumor immunological phenotypes (TIP), characterized as "hot" (inflamed) or "cold" (noninflamed), are determined by the relative infiltration of immune cells. The heterogeneous response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies, including PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, is a major factor contributing to the variability in the response rate of immunotherapy among cancer patients.
Addressing the complexity and heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment is essential for better identifying individuals who are likely to respond to immunotherapy, thereby influencing clinical treatment decisions. This understanding is also vital for the development of new targets for immunotherapy, offering fresh insights into the treatment of both inflammatory diseases and cancer. Ongoing research is uncovering potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, focusing on the molecular events during inflammation and the communication between immune cells, which is critical for advancing our knowledge and treatment strategies in these areas.
This Research Topic is dedicated to exploring the heterogeneity and dynamic nature of immune cell populations in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer. We invite submissions in the form of Original Research, Reviews, and other scholarly articles.
• Immune Microenvironment Dynamics: Studies that delve into the changes within the immune microenvironment and the molecular mechanisms that differentiate normal from inflammatory states.
• Signaling and Molecular Events: Examination of cutting-edge signal pathways and molecular events that play a role in immune regulation, such as cellular senescence, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications of DNA/mRNA, and metabolic reprogramming.
• Multi-Omic Analysis: Deciphering the intricate complexity and heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment through a multi-omic lens, encompassing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data.
• Novel Diagnostic/Drug Discovery Strategies: Innovative approaches to non-invasive diagnosis or drug discovery that target the heterogeneity of the immune system.
• Pharmacological and Translational Research: Basic and translational research on immune checkpoint therapies, including the development of drug delivery systems utilizing advanced materials such as polymer nanoparticles and organic compounds.
• Clinical Applications and AI Insights: Insights from clinical studies and the application of artificial intelligence in the identification of novel biomarkers and immune cell communication pathways.
• Inflammation and Drug Resistance: The interplay between inflammatory and immune factors in the context of drug resistance and therapeutic responses across various cancer types.
• Environmental and Genetic Influences: The impact of environmental exposures and genetic diversity on the composition and function of the immune microenvironment.
• Bioinformatics and Computational Analysis: Development and application of bioinformatics tools and computational algorithms for the assessment of complex immune infiltration patterns.
Keywords:
immune heterogeneity, inflammatory diseases, cancer, molecular targets, mechanism, bioinformatics
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.
The maintenance of immune homeostasis is pivotal for metabolic balance and health, distinguishing self from non-self and neutralizing pathogenic threats. This equilibrium is intricately managed by the diverse and heterogeneous activities of effector and regulatory immune cells. Dysregulation of this balance is implicated in a spectrum of inflammatory pathologies, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), sepsis, sicca syndrome, hepatitis, autoimmune neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and various cancers.
The current treatments for inflammatory diseases predominantly involve the systemic administration of non-specific small molecules, which, despite their efficacy, result in broad immunosuppression and can have undesirable side effects. In contrast, biological drugs offer a targeted approach to therapy, providing clinical benefits by altering immune cell trafficking, modulating the activation state of diverse immune cells, or inducing specific cellular depletion. Recent studies on the aberrant pathways in inflammatory diseases have significantly advanced the development of small-molecule therapies, enhancing our understanding of the cellular mechanisms that contribute to a balanced immune response. Selective Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been particularly successful, with several being approved for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).
In the field of oncology, a series of molecular events—such as cellular senescence, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic reprogramming—have been demonstrated to be closely linked to the heterogeneity of immune cell infiltration. This link has been crucial for improving the precision of prognosis prediction and the development of novel therapeutic compounds. The tumor immunological phenotypes (TIP), characterized as "hot" (inflamed) or "cold" (noninflamed), are determined by the relative infiltration of immune cells. The heterogeneous response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies, including PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, is a major factor contributing to the variability in the response rate of immunotherapy among cancer patients.
Addressing the complexity and heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment is essential for better identifying individuals who are likely to respond to immunotherapy, thereby influencing clinical treatment decisions. This understanding is also vital for the development of new targets for immunotherapy, offering fresh insights into the treatment of both inflammatory diseases and cancer. Ongoing research is uncovering potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, focusing on the molecular events during inflammation and the communication between immune cells, which is critical for advancing our knowledge and treatment strategies in these areas.
This Research Topic is dedicated to exploring the heterogeneity and dynamic nature of immune cell populations in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer. We invite submissions in the form of Original Research, Reviews, and other scholarly articles.
• Immune Microenvironment Dynamics: Studies that delve into the changes within the immune microenvironment and the molecular mechanisms that differentiate normal from inflammatory states.
• Signaling and Molecular Events: Examination of cutting-edge signal pathways and molecular events that play a role in immune regulation, such as cellular senescence, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications of DNA/mRNA, and metabolic reprogramming.
• Multi-Omic Analysis: Deciphering the intricate complexity and heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment through a multi-omic lens, encompassing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data.
• Novel Diagnostic/Drug Discovery Strategies: Innovative approaches to non-invasive diagnosis or drug discovery that target the heterogeneity of the immune system.
• Pharmacological and Translational Research: Basic and translational research on immune checkpoint therapies, including the development of drug delivery systems utilizing advanced materials such as polymer nanoparticles and organic compounds.
• Clinical Applications and AI Insights: Insights from clinical studies and the application of artificial intelligence in the identification of novel biomarkers and immune cell communication pathways.
• Inflammation and Drug Resistance: The interplay between inflammatory and immune factors in the context of drug resistance and therapeutic responses across various cancer types.
• Environmental and Genetic Influences: The impact of environmental exposures and genetic diversity on the composition and function of the immune microenvironment.
• Bioinformatics and Computational Analysis: Development and application of bioinformatics tools and computational algorithms for the assessment of complex immune infiltration patterns.
Keywords:
immune heterogeneity, inflammatory diseases, cancer, molecular targets, mechanism, bioinformatics
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.