The field of cancer research has traditionally relied on murine models to understand neoplastic transformation, tumorigenesis, and cancer progression. However, these models have limitations in fully capturing the complexity of human cancer biology. Recent advancements in multiomics and genome editing have introduced alternative biological models, such as axolotls, salamanders, bats, and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as promising tools to uncover novel mechanisms of cancer onset and development. These unconventional models offer unique insights into the molecular circuitry of carcinogenesis that are often elusive in traditional models. Despite the progress, there remains a gap in integrating findings from these alternative models into the broader cancer research framework. Addressing this gap could significantly enhance our understanding of cancer biology and lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets.

This research topic aims to complement the understanding of the carcinogenic process by exploring the molecular machinery associated with cancer onset and progression in alternative biological models. The goal is to facilitate knowledge transfer between unconventional and traditional models, thereby expanding our comprehension of evolutionarily conserved molecular and genetic mechanisms in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. The research will also focus on recent advances in gene editing, transcriptomics, proteomics, interactomics, and comparative genomics applied to these models, highlighting their potential to elucidate the molecular basis of cancer.

To gather further insights in the integration of alternative biological models into cancer research, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- The implementation of comparative genomics strategies to characterize the molecular machinery associated with cancer onset and progression.
- The application of genome editing strategies to generate alternative models for cancer research.
- The development of novel strategies to translate findings derived from unconventional cancer models to humans.
- The implementation of alternative biological models to elucidate the molecular and genetic circuitry underlying carcinogenesis.
- The disclosure of recent advances in gene editing, transcriptomics, proteomics, and interactomics techniques applied to unconventional cancer models in the context of cancer research.

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Exploring Unconventional Models to Unravel Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis