The human genome mostly comprises of RNAs that are not coding for proteins, named non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). There are three types of ncRNA: circular RNA (circRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and short miRNA. These ncRNAs regulate the expression of coding genes, such as oncogenes and tumor-suppressive genes, and thus influence various aspects of tumor biology. Given that they are also expressed in many immune cell types, influencing innate and adaptive immunity, and therefore, represent a novel target for improving responses to cancer immunotherapy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies represent promising immunotherapy for various types of cancer, however, their efficacy is limited to a small proportion of patients with primary or secondary resistance being common. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying this resistance, though it is thought that immune escape is facilitated through alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
In addition to the formation of an immunosuppressive TME, cancer cells themselves can participate in immune evasion. The induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor immune evasion, therefore targeting EMT is likely to reduce immunoresistance and increase sensitivity to anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) have the capacity to evade immune cell destruction and promote tumor development. ncRNAs regulate the formation and progression of cancers through modulating cancer stem cell self-renewal.
Of the three types of ncRNA, miRNAs are currently the most studied, with miRNA-targeting therapeutics already in clinical development for various types of cancer. However, recent studies have found that lncRNAs induce an immunosuppressive microenvironment and so control tumor escape from immunosurveillance promoting tumor growth and resistance to therapies. Therefore, lncRNAs are being increasingly recognized as a novel target for regulating the tumor microenvironment to increase the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.
In this Research Topic, we aim to gain a further understanding of the roles of lncRNA in regulating the TME, promoting tumor immune escape and thereby facilitating resistance to immunotherapies, such as ICIs. We also welcome submissions focusing on the use of ncRNA-targeting therapies to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Opinion, and Perspective articles focusing on ncRNA in cancer immunity and immunotherapy. We welcome submissions covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Expression of ncRNA in tumor and immune cells
• Influence of ncRNA on tumor and immune cell functions
• Role of ncRNA in regulating the immunosuppressive TME
• Development of ncRNA-targeting therapies to increase efficacy to immunotherapies
• Clinical trials testing the efficacy of ncRNA-targeting immunotherapies and combination with other immunotherapies
• Novel technologies to understand the roles of ncRNA in tumor immunity and immunotherapy
• Role of exosome trafficking in the ncRNA-targeting immunotherapies
• The connection between ncRNAs and EMT/CSC and their roles in tumor immune evasion
Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by in vitro or in vivo functional validation are considered out of scope of this section.
The human genome mostly comprises of RNAs that are not coding for proteins, named non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). There are three types of ncRNA: circular RNA (circRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and short miRNA. These ncRNAs regulate the expression of coding genes, such as oncogenes and tumor-suppressive genes, and thus influence various aspects of tumor biology. Given that they are also expressed in many immune cell types, influencing innate and adaptive immunity, and therefore, represent a novel target for improving responses to cancer immunotherapy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies represent promising immunotherapy for various types of cancer, however, their efficacy is limited to a small proportion of patients with primary or secondary resistance being common. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying this resistance, though it is thought that immune escape is facilitated through alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
In addition to the formation of an immunosuppressive TME, cancer cells themselves can participate in immune evasion. The induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor immune evasion, therefore targeting EMT is likely to reduce immunoresistance and increase sensitivity to anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) have the capacity to evade immune cell destruction and promote tumor development. ncRNAs regulate the formation and progression of cancers through modulating cancer stem cell self-renewal.
Of the three types of ncRNA, miRNAs are currently the most studied, with miRNA-targeting therapeutics already in clinical development for various types of cancer. However, recent studies have found that lncRNAs induce an immunosuppressive microenvironment and so control tumor escape from immunosurveillance promoting tumor growth and resistance to therapies. Therefore, lncRNAs are being increasingly recognized as a novel target for regulating the tumor microenvironment to increase the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.
In this Research Topic, we aim to gain a further understanding of the roles of lncRNA in regulating the TME, promoting tumor immune escape and thereby facilitating resistance to immunotherapies, such as ICIs. We also welcome submissions focusing on the use of ncRNA-targeting therapies to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Opinion, and Perspective articles focusing on ncRNA in cancer immunity and immunotherapy. We welcome submissions covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Expression of ncRNA in tumor and immune cells
• Influence of ncRNA on tumor and immune cell functions
• Role of ncRNA in regulating the immunosuppressive TME
• Development of ncRNA-targeting therapies to increase efficacy to immunotherapies
• Clinical trials testing the efficacy of ncRNA-targeting immunotherapies and combination with other immunotherapies
• Novel technologies to understand the roles of ncRNA in tumor immunity and immunotherapy
• Role of exosome trafficking in the ncRNA-targeting immunotherapies
• The connection between ncRNAs and EMT/CSC and their roles in tumor immune evasion
Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by in vitro or in vivo functional validation are considered out of scope of this section.
