Exploring mRNA processing mechanisms to enhance cancer immunotherapy targets

Cancer immunotherapy represents a transformative approach in oncology, especially for treating cancers thought to be incurable. However, a significant hurdle persists in identifying tumor-specific antigens vital for successful vaccine and T cell therapy development. Alternative mRNA processing mechanisms, including alternative splicing, polyadenylation, nuclear export, mRNA localization, RNA editing, and translation, contribute significantly to the proteomic diversity in cancer cells. This processing diversity creates an extended range of potential antigens. Analyzing these mRNA processing events holds promise for identifying previously overlooked targets. However, challenges such as the complexity of RNA regulatory networks, tumor heterogeneity, and the dynamic nature of RNA modifications need to be tackled to integrate these findings effectively into clinical applications. Additionally, advancements in high-throughput sequencing technologies and computational modeling are imperative to uncover the functional consequences of mRNA processing events, thereby identifying viable therapeutic targets. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms will be critical in evolving next-generation immunotherapies with enhanced specificity and efficacy.

This Research Topic aims to explore how different mRNA processing mechanisms can be leveraged to identify novel tumor-specific antigens for cancer immunotherapy. By delving deeper into these processes, the objective is to broaden the spectrum of targetable antigens, paving the way for immunotherapeutic strategies with increased efficacy and specificity.

To gather further insights into the innovations in immunotherapy through the lens of mRNA processing, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Mechanisms of alternative mRNA processing in cancer immunotherapy.
- Post-transcriptional checkpoints in cancer immunity and immunotherapy.
- Mapping mRNA processing alterations in tumors, such as isoform detection with short/long-read RNA sequencing or at the single-cell level, profiling RNA modifications and dynamics.
- Functional relevance of mRNA processing aberrations in cancer immunotherapy.
- Therapeutic targeting of mRNA processing, including correcting aberrant mRNA isoforms, exploiting vulnerabilities related to mRNA processing, and discovering synthetic lethality associated with mRNA processing.