The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex ecosystem that involves a dynamic interplay between cancer cells, immune cells, stromal components, and signaling molecules. The TME plays a major role in influencing and modeling tumor initiation, progression, the apparition of distant metastasis, and resistance to therapies. Among the molecular players responsible for intercellular communication, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs)—including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs)—have emerged as critical regulators of cancer development and progression. Depending on their role in a specific cancer type, different ncRNAs modulate key cellular and molecular processes within the TME, influencing immune surveillance, immune evasion, and inflammation and thereby impacting the outcomes of solid tumors. Despite growing recognition of their significance, the precise roles of ncRNAs in tumor-immune interactions and their translational potential remain largely unexplored.
This Research Topic seeks to advance our understanding of the main roles of ncRNAs in intercellular communication in the TME and to uncover their role in tumor-immune interactions and how they contribute to the evolution and adaptability of solid tumors in primary and secondary organ niches. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics approaches offer a unique opportunity to discover ncRNA-mediated mechanisms and translate these findings into clinical strategies. The single-cell sequencing technologies can offer additional insights that can highlight the expression level of various molecules in different TME compartments.
Our goal is to address the following challenges and opportunities: (1) Understanding ncRNA-driven mechanisms that regulate immune cell recruitment, activation, and polarisation within the TME; (2) Exploring the roles of ncRNAs in promoting immune evasion and shaping tumor-associated inflammation; (3) Identifying ncRNA signatures as novel biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic outcomes; (4) Investigating strategies to therapeutically target ncRNAs for reprogramming the TME and overcoming resistance to existing therapies; (5) Developing advanced technologies for the precise delivery of ncRNA-based therapies to the tumor microenvironment; (6) Assessing the potential of ncRNA-based interventions in combination with immunotherapies to enhance treatment efficacy; (7) Characterizing ncRNA expression profiles in diverse cancer types to uncover universal and tumor-specific mechanisms.
This Research Topic aims to promote ncRNA-centered approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of solid tumors by fostering innovative research and multidisciplinary collaboration. We invite submissions exploring ncRNAs' diverse roles in the TME and their implications for tumor evolution, immune modulation, and therapeutic interventions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Mechanistic studies on ncRNA regulation of immune and stromal cell behavior within the TME. • Discovery and validation of ncRNA biomarkers in solid tumors. • Novel experimental and computational approaches to map ncRNA-TME interactions. • The role of ncRNAs in resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapies. • Therapeutic strategies targeting ncRNAs for TME reprogramming and improved patient outcomes. • New technologies in the ncRNA investigation in the TME, how single-cell sequencing technologies can help us better understand the roles of ncRNAs.
We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Perspectives, and Brief Research Reports that offer innovative insights into the complex roles of ncRNAs in tumor biology and the TME.
Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Classification
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Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
