How Can We Optimise Cancer Therapy? Tumour Microenvironment and Immune Evasion Strategies

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Microenvironment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 360

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Interests: cancer immunology; macrophages; myeloid-derived suppressor cells; γδ T cells; flow cytometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Interests: flow cytometry; tumour immunology; autoimmunity; γδ T cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The immune system is capable of reacting with malignant cells. However, this response is typically unsuccessful in advanced cancer. Cancer cells have developed complex mechanisms to prevent the immune system from detecting and eliminating them. Tumour antigen expression changes, increases in immune checkpoint receptor levels, metabolic networks, hypoxia, and the production of immunosuppressive factors are some of the mechanisms involved. In addition, the various triggered pathways can reprogram immune cells towards a regulatory phenotype or drive them into anergy. Therefore, to design new and more efficient anticancer treatments, it is necessary to understand the factors of the tumour microenvironment (TME) that affect the efficacy of immunotherapy. Oncological research requires a thorough understanding of the crosstalk between the tumour and the immune system.

This Special Issue is designed to encourage the exchange of findings in immuno-oncology related to cancer immune evasion, immunosuppression, and the microenvironment. Papers dealing with strategies for optimising cancer immunotherapy are especially welcome. Innovative original papers and reviews are within the scope of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Bojarska-Junak
Prof. Dr. Michal Zarobkiewicz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • immunosurveillance
  • immune evasion in cancer
  • tumour microenvironment
  • immune suppression
  • immunotherapy
  • immune checkpoints
  • cancer immunity
  • drug intervention

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 1359 KiB  
Article
Identification of B Cell Subpopulations with Pro- and Anti-Tumorigenic Properties in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Michael Sonntag, Sandra Stanojevic, Simon Laban, Patrick J. Schuler, Thomas K. Hoffmann and Cornelia Brunner
Cells 2025, 14(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14010020 - 29 Dec 2024
Viewed by 212
Abstract
Due to their high developmental diversity and different regulatory and functional roles, B cell subpopulations can promote or inhibit tumor growth. An orthotopic murine HNSCC model was applied to investigate the B cell composition and function in HNSCCs. Using flow cytometry approaches, cells [...] Read more.
Due to their high developmental diversity and different regulatory and functional roles, B cell subpopulations can promote or inhibit tumor growth. An orthotopic murine HNSCC model was applied to investigate the B cell composition and function in HNSCCs. Using flow cytometry approaches, cells from the spleen, lymph nodes and tumors were analyzed. Additionally, immunoglobulin (Ig) levels post-tumor induction were tracked via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Following tumor induction, GCs, as well as increasing numbers of GL7+CD95+ GC B cells in the spleen and tumor tissues, were detected. In parallel, we observed CD39+CD73+ B cells in tumors and spleens of tumor-bearing mice. Notably, CD39+CD73+ expression was primarily detected on MZ B cells and to a lesser extent on follicular (FO) and non-follicular, newly formed (NF) B cells, supposing an immunosuppressive function of MZ B cells in the TME. Parallel to increased MZ B cell numbers in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) as well as in the tumor tissue, IgM antibody (Ab) levels rose continuously. In contrast, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 levels increased at later time points. Understanding the complex interactions between B cell subsets and the TME could lead to new strategies for enhancing the treatment and prognosis of HNSCC patients. Full article
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