Radiotherapy (RT) includes internal radiotherapy (IRT) and external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), which use radiation beams such as X-ray, ß-ray, or a-ray to directly kill cancer cells and reprogram tumor immune microenvironment by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Single radiotherapy could inhibit tumor progression, but it’s still a challenge to repress tumor metastasis and recurrence. Meanwhile, immunotherapy can stimulate immune responses to assault tumors. Unfortunately, inherently immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM), immune escape, and immune desert render malignancy into a cold one featured by low mutation burdens, low neoantigen burden, and inadequate infiltrated effector T cells. As a result, only a small proportion of cancer patients could benefit from immunotherapy. Accumulating evidence indicates that radiotherapy could synergize with immunotherapy to reprogram the tumor immune microenvironment by inducing immunogenic cell death, inhibiting tumor progress, and even eliminating metastasis and recurrence.
This Research Topic aims to highlight how radiotherapy induces immunogenic cell death and explore innovative radioimmunotherapy strategies to mitigate the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment and further eradicate either primary or metastatic tumors. We welcome the submission of high-quality Original Research, Review, and Perspective articles covering preclinical and clinical work in this regard.
1. Combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy strategies against solid and hematological cancers.
2. Mechanisms uncovering ionization-mediated immunogenic cell death, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necrosis.
3. Effects and associated mechanism of ionizing radiation in altering the “cold” tumor immune microenvironment and boosting anti-tumor immunity under different dosages.
4. Screening of biomarkers predicting the response of standalone radiotherapy or combinatorial therapies consisting of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
5. Genetic/epigenetic changes in the TME after commencing the above-mentioned therapies.
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.
Radiotherapy (RT) includes internal radiotherapy (IRT) and external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), which use radiation beams such as X-ray, ß-ray, or a-ray to directly kill cancer cells and reprogram tumor immune microenvironment by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Single radiotherapy could inhibit tumor progression, but it’s still a challenge to repress tumor metastasis and recurrence. Meanwhile, immunotherapy can stimulate immune responses to assault tumors. Unfortunately, inherently immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM), immune escape, and immune desert render malignancy into a cold one featured by low mutation burdens, low neoantigen burden, and inadequate infiltrated effector T cells. As a result, only a small proportion of cancer patients could benefit from immunotherapy. Accumulating evidence indicates that radiotherapy could synergize with immunotherapy to reprogram the tumor immune microenvironment by inducing immunogenic cell death, inhibiting tumor progress, and even eliminating metastasis and recurrence.
This Research Topic aims to highlight how radiotherapy induces immunogenic cell death and explore innovative radioimmunotherapy strategies to mitigate the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment and further eradicate either primary or metastatic tumors. We welcome the submission of high-quality Original Research, Review, and Perspective articles covering preclinical and clinical work in this regard.
1. Combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy strategies against solid and hematological cancers.
2. Mechanisms uncovering ionization-mediated immunogenic cell death, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necrosis.
3. Effects and associated mechanism of ionizing radiation in altering the “cold” tumor immune microenvironment and boosting anti-tumor immunity under different dosages.
4. Screening of biomarkers predicting the response of standalone radiotherapy or combinatorial therapies consisting of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
5. Genetic/epigenetic changes in the TME after commencing the above-mentioned therapies.
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.
