Formation of Immunological Niches in Tumor Microenvironments — Looking Back at Volume I and Calling for Submissions to Volume II
Understanding how tumors build and shape their immunological microenvironments is crucial for the next generation of cancer treatments. In September 2025, Frontiers in Oncology published Volume I of the Research Topic “Formation of immunological niches in tumor microenvironments: mechanisms and therapeutic potential.” This collection brought together cutting-edge research on the cellular, molecular, and spatial architecture of tumor immune niches and their impact on therapy response.
The editorial for Volume I — co-authored by Dr. Qingyu Luo, President of One Patient One Cure, and serving as Guest Editor and Corresponding Author — synthesized insights from studies on immune-stromal cross-talk, biomarker development, and therapeutic strategies to reprogram immunosuppressive microenvironments. These findings resonate deeply with One Patient One Cure’s mission: to harness multi-omics data, AI models, and translational research to deliver truly personalized precision oncology solutions.
Highlights from Volume I
Mapping Immune Niches: Research revealed how immune, stromal, and tumor cells co-evolve to form “niches” that either promote immune activation or suppress anti-tumor immunity.
Biomarker Discovery: Peripheral blood indices (SII, SIRI, PIV), ligand-receptor signatures, and transcriptional classifiers emerged as powerful tools to stratify patients and predict outcomes.
Therapeutic Innovations: Studies explored combination therapies — such as anti-angiogenic agents with PD-L1 blockade — and metabolic interventions to reprogram tumor niches toward immune-permissive states.
Challenges Identified: The plasticity of niches and the need for real-time, spatially resolved tools remain major hurdles, highlighting opportunities for longitudinal profiling and AI-powered spatial analysis.
Launch of Volume II — A New Call for Contributions
Building on the success of Volume I, Frontiers in Oncology and Frontiers in Immunology have launched Volume II of this Research Topic, again with Dr. Qingyu Luo as Guest Editor. Volume II aims to broaden and deepen the conversation, focusing on:
Mechanistic studies dissecting niche assembly, evolution, and heterogeneity
Longitudinal and spatially resolved niche mapping during therapy
Integrative biomarkers combining transcriptomics, proteomics, and liquid biopsies
Translational and clinical studies testing niche-modulating interventions
AI-based approaches to visualize, quantify, and model immunological niches
Researchers are invited to submit original research, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, and perspectives that move the field closer to precision cancer therapy.
Why This Matters for Precision Oncology
At One Patient One Cure, we believe that curing cancer requires decoding each patient’s tumor microenvironment and turning those insights into actionable treatment strategies. The two volumes of this Research Topic collectively contribute to that goal by:
Providing a blueprint for patient-specific immune landscape characterization
Highlighting targets for rational combination therapies
Inspiring the development of AI-driven predictors for therapy selection
📢 Call to Action: If your research explores how tumor microenvironments shape immunity — or how we can reprogram them to improve outcomes — consider contributing to Volume II. Together, we can transform these insights into tangible progress for patients worldwide.
🔗 Submit to Volume II here: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/70787/formation-and-remodeling-of-immunological-niches-in-tumors-organ-specific-mechanisms-and-inflammatory-parallels-volume-ii
