New Experimental Models in Prevalent Cancers

Dear Colleagues,

Today, cancer is responsible for approximately 8 million deaths annually worldwide. The Global Burden Of Cancer (GLOBOCAN) 2020 reported 19.3 million new cases of cancer every year, which is projected to increase to 28.4 million by 2040. In the future, female breast cancer will be the most common cancer (11.7%), followed by lung (11.4%), colorectal (10.0%), prostate (7.3%), and stomach (5.6%). As far as cancer-related mortality is concerned, lung cancer is the leading cause, responsible for 1.8 million deaths (18%), followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%), and female breast (6.9%). In light of this, it is becoming increasingly important to have a deep understanding of the biology and progression of cancer. New models for research can play a crucial role in better understanding the invasion and metastasis of cancer. Cancer is not a characterizable disease,; instead, it represents a heterogeneous and variable system, so it is crucial to create models that accurately reflect the tumor system. In vitro cancer models often fail to represent the heterogeneity of human cancer cells, their microenvironment, and the stromal compartment, which are important for understanding tumor pathogenesis, therapeutic responses, and adverse reactions. There are various experimental systems available to study human cancer, including cancer cell lines, 3D model organoids, and organisms like Drosophila melanogaster, zebrafish, genetically engineered mouse models, pigs, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and computational cancer models. These models allow one to investigate biochemical or genetic pathways and cancer pathologies, such as the best form of therapy and the resistance to drugs. Furthermore, to analyze clinical feedback in patients based on the model utilized, it is important to obtain a 50% hindrance in tumor development to better understand the “response” to treatment and to utilize clinically applicable dosages of curative agents to observe survival agents. It is crucial to choose the right therapy against tumor progression and understand when growth resumes after stopping or delaying treatment. Advanced preclinical models can be vital in elucidating the mechanisms of action of single drugs and their combinations in different types of cancer. Therefore, addressing investigations with more advanced preclinical models is critical to better show the mechanisms of action of single drugs and their combinations in different kinds of cancer. In this regard, it is possible to use different preclinical models such as cell lines, 3D cultures systems, and animal studies. Furthermore, models of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and patient-derived cells are grown and then injected into mice to test the effects of several treatments. Another method that can play a crucial role in cancer research is represented by a combination between patient-derived tumor organoids and a microfluidic organ-on-chip system to investigate the cancer’s invasion in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This can enable us to create patient-specific tumor models to study cancer biology and the effect of different drugs. Specifically, this model is very suitable for evaluating therapies’ efficacy and effects, which are very close to the response observed in patients.

This Special Issue will focus on studies regarding the following topics:

1. The importance of modeling in cancer research and therapeutic development.
2. Acknowledgment of suitable models in different types of cancer (such as lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, ovarian, and melanoma cancer).
3. Systems biology approaches for understanding cancer heterogeneity and treatment.
4. Mathematical modeling of cancer progression and treatment response resistance.
5. Computational modeling of cancer metastasis and therapeutics. 

Dr. Gabriella Marfe
Dr. Carla Di Stefano
Dr. Giuseppe Mirone
Dr. Arvind Kumar Shukla
Guest Editors

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• cell lines
• 3D cultures systems and animal studies
• PDXs
• Drosophila melanogaster
• zebrafish