Immune Evasion and Pathological Prognostic Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Bladder cancer is a prevalent malignant condition worldwide, and its mortality rates vary depending on the subtype. Non-muscle invasive tumors that grow on the inner surface of the bladder generally have a better prognosis, whereas muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancer poses significant challenges and leads to poor patient outcomes. In the case of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), especially in high-risk groups, numerous studies have investigated the prognosis of the immune response in combination with early-age Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment. Recent advances in cancer biology and immunology have shed light on the complex interaction between the tumor microenvironment and the immune system of the host, specifically in the context of bladder cancer.

Within the tumor microenvironment, immune molecules and cells display a complex and ambivalent nature, influencing the delicate equilibrium between tumor elimination and the suppression of antitumor immune responses. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate prognostic immunological molecular biomarkers associated with tumor progression and decipher the mechanisms underlying immune evasion and tumor-mediated immunosuppression. These efforts are pivotal in optimizing prognosis and developing effective treatment strategies.

Given the clinical significance of bladder cancer, the objective of this Special Issue, titled "Immune Evasion and Pathological Prognostic Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer", is to unravel and target pertinent biomarkers within the tumor microenvironment that have potential in immunological diagnosis, prognostication, and understanding immune evasion mechanisms. Bladder cancer is characterized by a high recurrence rate and sensitivity to anticancer drugs, underscoring the urgency to generate contemporary research findings and evidence-based recommendations to enhance treatment modalities.

By addressing these aforementioned aspects, this Special Issue aims to provide an updated and comprehensive understanding of the immunological landscape of bladder cancer, ultimately facilitating the development of personalized therapeutic approaches and improving patient outcomes.

We have already run a number of Special Issues; see:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues

Dr. Sun-Hee Leem
Dr. Hyuk Soon Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• bladder cancer
• immune evasion
• tumor microenvironment
• tumor prognosis
• immune checkpoint
• immune tolerance