Cancer Inhibitory Receptors: Targeting Tumor Microenvironment Therapeutically
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 68
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cancer immunotherapy; t cell exhaustion; cellular therapies; three-dimensional tissue engineering; tumor microenvironment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The tumor microenvironment (TME), encompassing cellular and stromal components including tumor cells, immune cells, mesenchymal cells, cancer-linked fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix, plays a crucial role in reprogramming tumor initiation, uncontrolled proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, as well as response to therapeutic modalities. These inhibitory receptors expressed on T cells control immune responses while limiting autoimmunity. Tumor-specific T cells that exhibit an exhausted, unresponsive phenotype express high levels of inhibitory receptors, including CTLA4, PD1, and LAG3, among others. Intratumoral regulatory T cells promote immunosuppression and express multiple inhibitory receptors. Overcoming this inhibitory receptor-mediated immune tolerance has been a major challenge for cancer immunotherapies. In recent years, targeting the TME has developed as a potential strategy for the treatment of cancer because of its life-threatening functions in restricting tumor development and modulating responses to standard-of-care medicines. Combination therapies, including antiangiogenic drugs and immunotherapies, are among the most effective therapies targeting the TME that are clinically effective and efficacious.
However, exploring treatment options for the management of non-responsive and relapsed/refractory cancer patients remains a challenge. New drug targets are being investigated to improve the efficiency of immunotherapies in addition to the approved PD1, CTLA-4, and LAG3. This Special Issue will highlight the new therapeutic targets in the tumor microenvironment coupled with immune checkpoint inhibitors, which work in conjunction to improve the efficacy of combination treatment regimes. This Special Issue will broadly cover basic, preclinical, and clinical aspects that advance our understanding of targeting complex pathways in tumors using therapeutic modalities. This Special Issue discusses the above-mentioned therapies in light of targeting the TME. We also cover problems related to TME-targeted therapies, as well as future insights and practical uses in this rapidly growing field.
Dr. Vaishali Aggarwal
Dr. Alok Kumar
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- immunotherapy
- tumor microenvironment
- inhibitory receptors
- immune system
- T cells
- malignant cells
- therapeutic targets
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