Editorial: Mechanisms and Complexities Underlying the Cancer Cell Immune Evasion and Its Therapeutic Implications

Zhexu Chi^1*Tapas Patra^2*Akhileshwar Namani^2*

• ¹Center for Regeneration and Aging Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine,, International Institutes of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, Zhejiang,, China
• ²Department of Molecular Oncology, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Sri Shankara National Centre for Cancer Prevention and Research, Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation, Bengaluru 560004, India

Cancer immune evasion represents a central barrier to effective antitumor immunity and remains one of the most challenging hallmarks of cancer biology. The Research Topic "Mechanisms and Complexities Underlying the Cancer Cell Immune Evasion and its Therapeutic Implications" brings together diverse contributions that elucidate the cellular, molecular, and microenvironmental determinants of immune escape across malignancies. The collected works highlight how tumors exploit immunoregulatory pathways, remodel local immune niches, and shape therapeutic responses. Together, these articles provide an integrated understanding of cancer-mediated immune suppression and propose translational strategies to counteract it.A major theme emerging from this topic is the central role of immunosuppressive cell populations. Liu et al. detail how regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, leukemia-associated macrophages, and regulatory B cells orchestrate a profoundly immunosuppressive milieu in acute myeloid leukemia. Their review underscores the importance of targeting cellular recruitment and suppressive signaling pathways to restore effective anti-leukemic immunity. Wang et al. identify cytosolic thiouridylase CTU2 as a pancancer biomarker that modulates immune infiltration, tumor immunogenicity, and immunotherapy response. Their multitier analysis suggests that tRNA modification systems represent an underexplored axis of immune regulation. Complementing this, Chen et al. provide high-resolution insights into the heterogeneous immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer-origin ovarian metastases. Their genomic analyses reveal highly variable neoantigen loads, immune-desert phenotypes, and distinct metastatic routes, illustrating how spatial and clonal evolution shapes immune interactions and patient outcomes. Collectively, the articles in this research topic illustrate that immune evasion is not governed by a single pathway but emerges through complex, dynamic interactions between cancer cells, immune effectors, stromal elements, extracellular vesicles, and metabolic networks. These studies emphasize the need for integrated therapeutic strategies that target multiple axes of immune suppression at cellular, molecular, spatial, and metabolic levels.As immunotherapies continue to evolve, a deeper mechanistic understanding of immune escape will be essential for improving patient outcomes, predicting response, and designing effective combination strategies. We thank all authors and reviewers for their valuable contributions and hope this collection inspires further exploration into the intricacies of cancer-immune interactions and their therapeutic exploitation.