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6.9
5.4
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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Chronic Infection
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Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Chronic Infection

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biopharmaceutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 4829

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gaia Codolo

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy
Interests: regulation of the innate immune response in the context of cancer and chronic infections; identification of molecular targets to define novel therapeutic strategies
Dr. Barbara Frossi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Area, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
Interests: role of mast cells in modulating immune response in the contexts of infection; chronic inflammation and neoplastic disease
Dr. Teresa Zelante

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Interests: immunity of fungal infections; regulation of antimicrobial responses of the microbiome; postbiotic molecules in infectious diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite enormous therapeutic advancements, cancer and infectious diseases are still major causes of morbidity and mortality. Immunotherapies are strategies that involve modulating the immune system in precise ways, prompting the body’s own immune system to fight diseases more effectively. Several different categories of immunotherapies exist, including those based on monoclonal antibodies, cell therapies, vaccines, oncolytic viruses, checkpoint inhibitors and cytokines.

Novel and innovative therapeutic strategies are necessary to overcome the challenges typically faced in cancer and existing infectious diseases; indeed, despite encouraging results, these therapies are often endowed with toxicity or lack of adequate efficacy.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews highlighting the role of different forms of immunotherapy on treatment of both cancer and chronic infections, covering both basic research and clinical aspects, are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Gaia Codolo
Dr. Barbara Frossi
Dr. Teresa Zelante
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. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.

Keywords

  • cancer immunotherapy
  • chronic infection immunotherapy
  • checkpoint inhibitors
  • vaccines
  • monoclonal antibodies
  • cytokines
  • oncolytic viruses

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

21 pages, 2013 KiB  
Review
Modulation of Human Dendritic Cell Functions by Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitors: Potential Relevance for the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
by Hoang Oanh Nguyen, Laura Tiberio, Fabrizio Facchinetti, Giulia Ripari, Valentina Violi, Gino Villetti, Valentina Salvi and Daniela Bosisio
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(9), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15092254 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) are small-molecule drugs that, by increasing the intracellular levels of cAMP in immune cells, elicit a broad spectrum of anti-inflammatory effects. As such, PDE4 inhibitors are actively studied as therapeutic options in a variety of human diseases characterized by [...] Read more.
Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) are small-molecule drugs that, by increasing the intracellular levels of cAMP in immune cells, elicit a broad spectrum of anti-inflammatory effects. As such, PDE4 inhibitors are actively studied as therapeutic options in a variety of human diseases characterized by an underlying inflammatory pathogenesis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are checkpoints of the inflammatory and immune responses, being responsible for both activation and dampening depending on their activation status. This review shows evidence that PDE4 inhibitors modulate inflammatory DC activation by decreasing the secretion of inflammatory and Th1/Th17-polarizing cytokines, although preserving the expression of costimulatory molecules and the CD4+ T cell-activating potential. In addition, DCs activated in the presence of PDE4 inhibitors induce a preferential Th2 skewing of effector T cells, retain the secretion of Th2-attracting chemokines and increase the production of T cell regulatory mediators, such as IDO1, TSP-1, VEGF-A and Amphiregulin. Finally, PDE4 inhibitors selectively induce the expression of the surface molecule CD141/Thrombomodulin/BDCA-3. The result of such fine-tuning is immunomodulatory DCs that are distinct from those induced by classical anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids. The possible implications for the treatment of respiratory disorders (such as COPD, asthma and COVID-19) by PDE4 inhibitors will be discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Chronic Infection)
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16 pages, 2193 KiB  
Review
Cancer Vaccines: From the State of the Art to the Most Promising Frontiers in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
by Eleonora Martinis, Carolina Ricci, Caterina Trevisan, Gaia Tomadini and Silvia Tonon
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1969; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071969 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1374
Abstract
Colorectal cancer represents 10% of all new cancer cases each year and accounts for almost 10% of all cancer deaths. According to the WHO, by 2040 there will be a 60% increase in colorectal cancer cases. These data highlight the need to explore [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer represents 10% of all new cancer cases each year and accounts for almost 10% of all cancer deaths. According to the WHO, by 2040 there will be a 60% increase in colorectal cancer cases. These data highlight the need to explore new therapeutic strategies. Classical interventions include surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are invasive strategies that have many side effects on the patients and greatly affect their quality of life. A great advance in the treatment of this cancer type, as well as of all the others, could be the development of a vaccination strategy preventing the onset, the progression or the relapse of the pathology. In this review, we summarize the main vaccination strategies that are being studied for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) and finally explore the possibility of using B-cells for the development of a new type of vaccine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Chronic Infection)
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Figure 1

16 pages, 723 KiB  
Review
Frenemies in the Microenvironment: Harnessing Mast Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
by Roberta Sulsenti and Elena Jachetti
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(6), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15061692 - 9 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Tumor development, progression, and resistance to therapies are influenced by the interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment, comprising fibroblasts, immune cells, and extracellular matrix proteins. In this context, mast cells (MCs) have recently emerged as important players. Yet, their role is [...] Read more.
Tumor development, progression, and resistance to therapies are influenced by the interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment, comprising fibroblasts, immune cells, and extracellular matrix proteins. In this context, mast cells (MCs) have recently emerged as important players. Yet, their role is still controversial, as MCs can exert pro- or anti-tumor functions in different tumor types depending on their location within or around the tumor mass and their interaction with other components of the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we describe the main aspects of MC biology and the different contribution of MCs in promoting or inhibiting cancer growth. We then discuss possible therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting MCs for cancer immunotherapy, which include: (1) targeting c-Kit signaling; (2) stabilizing MC degranulation; (3) triggering activating/inhibiting receptors; (4) modulating MC recruitment; (5) harnessing MC mediators; (6) adoptive transferring of MCs. Such strategies should aim to either restrain or sustain MC activity according to specific contexts. Further investigation would allow us to better dissect the multifaceted roles of MCs in cancer and tailor novel approaches for an “MC-guided” personalized medicine to be used in combination with conventional anti-cancer therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Chronic Infection)
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