Cancer is a multi-step process. Many types of solid tumors originate from a small population of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells (from here CSCs) that can initiate and maintain tumor growth and progression. CSCs are also important during tumor dormancy, which play a critical role during cancer recurrence following therapy and subsequent metastatic progression.
CSCs crosstalk with tumor microenvironment (TME), which is a complex network comprising infiltrating immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and stromal cells. Activation of TME by tumor cells are important for the tumor initiation, progression, dormancy, and therapy resistance. For example, release of inflammatory cytokines in tumor-bearing hosts drives cancer progression through multiple mechanisms and impairs anti-tumor immunity by inducing immunosuppressive cell types. Several cell types in TME have also been shown to provide the niche for dormant cells, which become resistant to established therapies. These dormant cells reawake under suitable circumstances and thus promote cancer recurrence and metastasis. Targeting these populations will thus lead to more effective therapies to reduce cancer growth and metastasis. We envision that this Research Topic will shed light in the current area of cancer research with emphasis on potential targeted therapy.
This Research Topic areas welcomes Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Clinical Trials, but not limited to:
• Cancer stem cells potential therapy.
• Cancer stem cells and tumor microenvironment.
• Tumor dormancy and reawakening.
• Modulation of tumor microenvironment and targeting immune suppressor cells.
• Precision medicine in controlling cancer growth.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Cancer is a multi-step process. Many types of solid tumors originate from a small population of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells (from here CSCs) that can initiate and maintain tumor growth and progression. CSCs are also important during tumor dormancy, which play a critical role during cancer recurrence following therapy and subsequent metastatic progression.
CSCs crosstalk with tumor microenvironment (TME), which is a complex network comprising infiltrating immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and stromal cells. Activation of TME by tumor cells are important for the tumor initiation, progression, dormancy, and therapy resistance. For example, release of inflammatory cytokines in tumor-bearing hosts drives cancer progression through multiple mechanisms and impairs anti-tumor immunity by inducing immunosuppressive cell types. Several cell types in TME have also been shown to provide the niche for dormant cells, which become resistant to established therapies. These dormant cells reawake under suitable circumstances and thus promote cancer recurrence and metastasis. Targeting these populations will thus lead to more effective therapies to reduce cancer growth and metastasis. We envision that this Research Topic will shed light in the current area of cancer research with emphasis on potential targeted therapy.
This Research Topic areas welcomes Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Clinical Trials, but not limited to:
• Cancer stem cells potential therapy.
• Cancer stem cells and tumor microenvironment.
• Tumor dormancy and reawakening.
• Modulation of tumor microenvironment and targeting immune suppressor cells.
• Precision medicine in controlling cancer growth.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.