About this Research Topic

Background

There are increasing evidence that communication between cancer and non-malignant cells within the TME can synergistically support malignant progression. Distinct components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and various contents in stromal cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) make the TME heterogeneous and contribute to resistance to chemotherapeutics drugs to various extents. Identifying drug targets within TME and understanding the TME-related molecular mechanisms that drive intratumor heterogeneity, metastasis formation, and patient relapse are critical to improving clinical outcomes.

Botanical drugs, their isolated bioactive components, and their structural analogs have contributed to more than 60% of the current anticancer armamentarium. This Research Topic aims to present novel insights on the contribution of botanical drugs to the understanding of the TME and their use as innovative strategies to exert anticancer effects by targeting TME components, including CAF, TAMs, angiogenesis, and inflammatory factors while sparing normal cells and tissues.

This Research Topic welcomes original research articles focusing on the anti-cancer potential of botanical drugs and derived bioactive compounds that target the TME.
Review articles will also be considered. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
• Botanic drugs as anticancer drugs acting on the TME
• Botanic drugs as strategies to modulate the TME
• Omics and system biology approaches validated by experimental data to unravel botanical drug mechanisms

Of note, for manuscripts dealing with plant extracts or other natural substances/compounds, the composition and the stability of the study material must be described in sufficient detail. In particular, for extracts, chromatograms with the characterization of the dominating compound(s) are requested. The level of purity must be proven and included.

Keywords: Tumor microenvironment, Cancer treatment, Botanical drugs, Single compounds, Targeted therapy

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.

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