International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giuseppe Bronte

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (I.R.S.T.) IRCCS, Via Piero Maroncelli, 40, 47014 Meldola, FC, Italy
Interests: molecular oncology; lung cancer; immunotherapy; targeted therapy; cancer biomarkers; tumor immunology; cancer stem cells; cancer drug resistance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last ten years, a great advancement in cancer immunology has occurred. The comprehension of immune escape mediators led to the development of specific new cancer treatments. Lung cancer is one of the tumors that achieved the best outcomes from immune checkpoint blockade. These treatment strategies are also under investigation in other thoracic cancers such as malignant pleural mesothelioma and thymic tumors. The research on the mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors is helping to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the immune system modulation against cancer. Apart from the use of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway as a target for treatment, recently, some new immune checkpoints (e.g., TIGIT, LAG-3) and costimulatory molecules (e.g., ICOS) were identified as further targets.
This Special Issue of IJMS will offer the opportunity to publish original papers or review articles about new immune mechanisms and cellular or molecular strategies that will bring a great innovation in the field of immunotherapy for thoracic cancers (i.e., non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, lung carcinoid tumors, malignant pleural mesothelioma, thymic malignancies) in the years to come.

Dr. Giuseppe Bronte
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

immune system
thoracic cancers
immune checkpoints

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Baseline Versus Intercurrent Steroids Administration on Upfront Chemo-Immunotherapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

by Andrea De Giglio, Marta Aprile, Alessandro Di Federico, Francesca Sperandi, Barbara Melotti, Francesco Gelsomino and Andrea Ardizzoni

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10292; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810292 - 7 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1640

Abstract

The impact of baseline versus intercurrent steroids on the efficacy of upfront chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab (CT-ICI) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is unclear. We conducted a retrospective study on metastatic NSCLC patients treated with upfront CT-ICI at our institution between March 2020 and December 2021. The use of steroids was considered as the administration of at least 10 mg of prednisone equivalent. Of 101 patients, 36 (35.6%) received steroid therapy at baseline, and 18 (17.8%) started steroids on treatment. Overall, median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.5 months (95% CI, 5.9–8.9) and median overall survival (mOS) was 18.2 months (95% CI, 8.9-NR). Patients taking baseline steroids had significantly shorter survival than those not taking them and those assuming intercurrent steroids (mPFS 5.0 vs. 9.2 vs. 7.3 months, p < 0.001; mOS 7.0 months vs. not reached, p < 0.001). Baseline steroids were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes in the multivariate model (OS HR 2.94, p = 0.02; PFS HR 3.84, p > 0.001). Conversely, intercurrent prescription did not reach a significant value regardless of other pivotal variables included in the model. Baseline steroid administration was associated with a detrimental effect on survival outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with CT-ICI. The role of intercurrent steroid administration should be further explored in larger studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Immuno-Oncology for Thoracic Cancers)

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Review

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24 pages, 1653 KiB

Open AccessReview

Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers in the Era of Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer

by Lucile Pabst, Sébastien Lopes, Basil Bertrand, Quentin Creusot, Maria Kotovskaya, Erwan Pencreach, Michèle Beau-Faller and Céline Mascaux

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7577; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087577 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2642

Abstract

The therapeutic algorithm of lung cancer has recently been revolutionized by the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, an objective and durable response rate remains low with those recent therapies and some patients even experience severe adverse events. Prognostic and predictive biomarkers are therefore needed in order to select patients who will respond. Nowadays, the only validated biomarker is the PD-L1 expression, but its predictive value remains imperfect, and it does not offer any certainty of a sustained response to treatment. With recent progresses in molecular biology, genome sequencing techniques, and the understanding of the immune microenvironment of the tumor and its host, new molecular features have been highlighted. There are evidence in favor of the positive predictive value of the tumor mutational burden, as an example. From the expression of molecular interactions within tumor cells to biomarkers circulating in peripheral blood, many markers have been identified as associated with the response to immunotherapy. In this review, we would like to summarize the latest knowledge about predictive and prognostic biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors efficacy in order to go further in the field of precision immuno-oncology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Immuno-Oncology for Thoracic Cancers)

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