Tumor Microenvironment in Leukemia: Insights into Disease Progression and Therapeutic Targets

Leukemias develop and are maintained within a specialized bone marrow microenvironment that significantly influences disease progression and therapeutic resistance. Within this unique niche, leukemic cells dynamically reprogram immune and non-immune cells, fostering a supportive ecosystem for their survival and proliferation. Recent advances have highlighted transcriptional and metabolic changes in immune, stromal, and endothelial cells that influence leukemia biology. However, the detailed interplay of genomic alterations and metabolic dependencies within this microenvironment remains inadequately explored, representing a crucial frontier for understanding disease mechanisms and pinpointing new therapeutic targets.

This Research Topic aims to illuminate the genomic and metabolic mechanisms underpinning leukemia progression in its microenvironment. By leveraging multi-omics methodologies, this topic aims to elucidate how leukemic cells reconfigure the bone marrow niche from its normal state and modulate interactions with their surroundings. It welcomes investigation into genomic and metabolic profiling, immune modulation within the bone marrow niche, and therapeutic trajectories in leukemia progression. Further objectives include deciphering mechanisms of immune evasion and understanding therapy resistance, with the goal of identifying therapeutic targets and facilitating clinical advancements in leukemia treatment.

To gather further insights into the genomic and metabolic complexities of the leukemia microenvironment, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Transcriptomic and metabolic profiling of normal hematopoietic, leukemic cells and their microenvironment
• Crosstalk among leukemic cells, non-immune cells, and immune cells, in comparison to their interactions during normal hematopoiesis
• Inflammation and immune regulation in leukemia and immunotherapies
• Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting leukemia or bone marrow microenvironment

Contributors are encouraged to apply multi-omics, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics approaches, as well as preclinical and clinical models, to uncover novel insights into leukemia biology.