Head and neck cancers, most commonly head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), are highly aggressive and represent one of the most common cancers worldwide. HPV infection, excessive tobacco and alcohol use, and long-term inflammation are carcinogenic factors of head HNSCC. Conventional therapies for head and neck tumors including surgical intervention, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have limited effectiveness, even with the development of cetuximab and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, particularly in cases of recurrent or metastatic (R/M) diseases.
The tumor microenvironment (TME), with its intricate dynamic composition for tumor initiation and progression, plays a significant role in promoting tumor heterogeneity and adaptability amongst varying HNSCCs. The clinical use of novel targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized the traditional chemotherapy approach, changing both the pathological and biological features of tumor treatment over the years. Remodeling of the tumor microenvironment has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets, inhibit tumor drug resistance, and optimize the synergistic effects of immunotherapy. Clinical and basic research to find appropriate therapies based on tumor microenvironment is undoubtedly poised to influence the future trajectory of head and neck cancer treatment.
This Research Topic focuses on the changes in the tumor microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumors during immunotherapy (including clinical trials), including the behavioral and functional changes of various types of participating immune cells around tumor cells, and the interrelationships between components affecting the tumor microenvironment. We aim to elucidate the mechanism by which immunotherapy affects tumor biological behavior, screen for effective biomarkers of tumor therapy, and implicate potential new immunotherapies on this basis.
Specifically, manuscripts that focus on the following subtopics are highly welcome:
1. The role of various components in the tumor microenvironment in the occurrence and progression of head and neck tumors, as well as their prognostic significance.
2. Mechanisms of tumor microenvironment remodeling during the acquisition of drug resistance in head and neck tumors
3. The clinical trials of novel drugs or drugs that have been used for other tumors, or novel combinations of immunotherapies and conventional therapies for head and neck tumors.
4. Novel methods to reveal alterations in the tumor microenvironment of head and neck tumors during immunotherapy such as single-cell sequencing.
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.
Head and neck cancers, most commonly head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), are highly aggressive and represent one of the most common cancers worldwide. HPV infection, excessive tobacco and alcohol use, and long-term inflammation are carcinogenic factors of head HNSCC. Conventional therapies for head and neck tumors including surgical intervention, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have limited effectiveness, even with the development of cetuximab and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, particularly in cases of recurrent or metastatic (R/M) diseases.
The tumor microenvironment (TME), with its intricate dynamic composition for tumor initiation and progression, plays a significant role in promoting tumor heterogeneity and adaptability amongst varying HNSCCs. The clinical use of novel targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized the traditional chemotherapy approach, changing both the pathological and biological features of tumor treatment over the years. Remodeling of the tumor microenvironment has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets, inhibit tumor drug resistance, and optimize the synergistic effects of immunotherapy. Clinical and basic research to find appropriate therapies based on tumor microenvironment is undoubtedly poised to influence the future trajectory of head and neck cancer treatment.
This Research Topic focuses on the changes in the tumor microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumors during immunotherapy (including clinical trials), including the behavioral and functional changes of various types of participating immune cells around tumor cells, and the interrelationships between components affecting the tumor microenvironment. We aim to elucidate the mechanism by which immunotherapy affects tumor biological behavior, screen for effective biomarkers of tumor therapy, and implicate potential new immunotherapies on this basis.
Specifically, manuscripts that focus on the following subtopics are highly welcome:
1. The role of various components in the tumor microenvironment in the occurrence and progression of head and neck tumors, as well as their prognostic significance.
2. Mechanisms of tumor microenvironment remodeling during the acquisition of drug resistance in head and neck tumors
3. The clinical trials of novel drugs or drugs that have been used for other tumors, or novel combinations of immunotherapies and conventional therapies for head and neck tumors.
4. Novel methods to reveal alterations in the tumor microenvironment of head and neck tumors during immunotherapy such as single-cell sequencing.
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.