The immune system is striving for a balance, and being too strong or weak can throw this balance out of whack, leading to a variety of diseases, and this opposite immune state is figuratively referred to in organ transplant rejection and tumor immunology. More interestingly, transplantation and tumor immunology play protective roles in opposite ways. In general, the mechanism of action of transplant rejection may apply to the activation of tumor immunity, and similarly immune escape mechanisms of tumor cells provide new insights into the induction of immune tolerance after organ transplantation. The current targeting of different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has greatly improved outcomes for patients with cancer and those who have suffered organ transplants, but many challenges remain - including variable response rates and immune-related adverse events. In such a dynamic immunoregulatory system, it is difficult to accurately predict the immune status of organism by evaluating a single, or several immune cells and markers, and therefore there is an urgent need for more reliable metrics to inform patient stratification, therapeutic selection, and prognosis.
Recent technological advances, including multi-omic profiling and spatial analysis, are opening new avenues for understanding both circulating and tissue-based immune populations. For instance, flow cytometry, CyTOF, and single-cell sequencing are unveiling novel immune signatures in both the periphery and solid tissue including organ rejection microenvironment (ORM) and tumor microenvironment (TME) that correlate with treatment outcomes. Integrating these complex datasets with artificial intelligence and computational modeling enables discovery of previously unrecognized diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers.
This Research Topic aims to showcase original research and expert reviews exploring how multi-omics and advanced computational approaches can unravel the value and mechanisms of immune cell profiles—both in circulation and solid tissue within the TME and transplanted organ—in immune status evaluation and therapy. We are especially interested in studies that bridge mechanism and clinical application, ultimately supporting more precise, personalized organ rejection and cancer care.
We welcome submissions (original research, reviews, perspectives) on, but not limited to, the following themes:
Multi-omics profiling: Applications of multicolor flow cytometry, CyTOF, transcriptomics, proteomics, and single-cell sequencing (with spatial analysis, metabolomics, or proteomics) for early cancer diagnosis, immunotherapy monitoring, and prognosis.
AI-driven insights: Integration of multi-omics data using AI, machine learning, or deep learning to construct predictive models for early detection and outcome prediction; studies emphasizing clinical translatability are especially encouraged.
Mechanistic investigations: Research into how immune cell genomic and functional heterogeneity drives organ rejection and tumor initiation, progression, and response (or resistance) to therapy.
Therapeutic innovation: Discoveries in repurposing or optimizing immunotherapies, including high-throughput screening for ORM and TME-targeting compounds and design of next-generation cellular therapies (e.g., engineered T/NK cells, adoptive cell transfer, and combination therapies).
Spatial and functional TME analysis: Characterization of spatial immune architecture and its clinical relevance in predicting therapeutic response, disease progression, and survival.
Keywords: Circulating immune cells; Organ rejection microenvironment; Tumor immune microenvironment; Multi-omics technologies; Computational modeling; Immunotherapy.
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.
