Vascular-immune interactions in cancer progression: mechanisms, innovations, and translational opportunities

The field of tumor microenvironment research has increasingly highlighted the intertwined relationship between aberrant vasculature and dysregulated immune surveillance in cancer progression. Historically, vascular abnormalities and anti-cancer immune responses were studied independently, yet mounting evidence now demonstrates an intricate, bidirectional dialogue between these two compartments. In pathological states, dysfunctional blood vessels generate immunosuppressive milieus by impeding effector T cell infiltration and promoting the recruitment of regulatory immune subsets, while immune cells reinforce abnormal angiogenesis through the secretion of pro-angiogenic mediators such as VEGF and bFGF. Recent studies underscore how this maladaptive interplay not only fuels tumor growth and metastasis but also contributes to poor clinical outcomes. Despite advances, the mechanistic basis of this vascular-immune crosstalk, and its exploitation for therapeutic benefit, remains incompletely understood. Delineating these interactions at the molecular and cellular levels, and decoding their spatial dynamics in both preclinical and clinical settings, are essential next steps in advancing cancer immunotherapy.

This Research Topic aims to deepen the mechanistic and translational understanding of vascular-immune interactions from the precancerous stage through invasive malignancy. It seeks to unravel novel molecular pathways mediating this crosstalk, explore the development of innovative experimental platforms to visualize and quantify these dynamics in real time, and validate strategies that can therapeutically target the vascular–immunity axis. The overarching goal is to identify actionable molecules and pathways, generate preclinical proof-of-concept data, and foster early-phase clinical translation, particularly using biomarker-driven patient stratification to guide combined modality intervention (e.g., vascular normalization plus immunotherapy).

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses basic, translational, and early clinical studies that clarify the range and limitations of vascular and immune system interplay in cancer. We welcome research addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Molecular mechanisms governing the crosstalk between endothelial and immune cells in tumors
• Roles of specialized vascular niches in modulating immune cell localization, activation, and memory across cancer evolution
• Development and application of cutting-edge technologies, including single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, advanced imaging, organoid systems, and in silico modeling, to dissect vascular-immune interfaces
• Preclinical and clinical evaluation of therapies that target the vascular–immune axis, including combination approaches and strategies to overcome resistance
• Influence of systemic factors such as hypoxia, metabolic stress, circadian rhythms, and the microbiome on vascular–immune dynamics and therapeutic response

Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.