Identifying Novel Targets and Mechanisms That Drive Pathogenic Fibrosis and Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Fibrosis and cancer are two major health challenges that affect millions of people worldwide. Fibrosis is a pathological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix and inflammation, resulting from a dysregulated response to tissue injury. Cancer is a genetic disease driven by mutations that confer abnormal cell survival, proliferation and dissemination. Although fibrosis and cancer have different origins, they share many common features and mechanisms that influence their development and progression. These include the activation of fibroblasts and immune cells, the production of growth factors and cytokines, the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, the generation of oxidative stress and cellular senescence, and the modulation of the Hippo pathway. Moreover, fibrosis and cancer are often intertwined, as fibrotic tissue can provide a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment, and cancer cells can induce fibrosis through paracrine signaling. Therefore, understanding the molecular and cellular interactions between fibrosis and cancer may reveal novel therapeutic targets and strategies for both diseases.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge and recent advances in the field of fibrosis and cancer immunology. We invite original research articles and reviews that cover various aspects of this topic, such as the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in fibrosis and cancer, the role of immune cells and inflammation in fibrosis and cancer, the crosstalk between fibrosis and cancer in different organs and tissues, the biomarkers and imaging techniques for fibrosis and cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and the potential therapeutic interventions for fibrosis and cancer. We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate further research and foster collaborations among scientists and clinicians working on fibrosis and cancer immunology

Dr. Gerlinde Wernig
Dr. Cristabelle De Souza
Guest Editors

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• fibrosis
• cancer
• extracellular matrix
• inflammation
• epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
• oxidative stress
• cellular senescence
• hippo pathway
• fibroblast activation