Next-Generation Cancer Biology: Tumor Microenvironment, Cancer Immunometabolism, and AI-Driven Therapeutic Discovery
- Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Baskaran Gunasekaran Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ircancer41@gmail.com
- Dr. Saema Hanafi Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1002265884@ucsiuniversity.edu.my
Call for Papers – Special Issue
Biological Sciences, published by IR Research Publication, invites high-quality original research and scholarly reviews for the special issue "Next-Generation Cancer Biology: Tumor Microenvironment, Cancer Immunometabolism, and AI-Driven Therapeutic Discovery."
Recent advances in cancer biology have highlighted the complex interactions among malignant cells, immune populations, stromal components, and the surrounding tumor microenvironment. Cancer immunometabolism, cellular plasticity, therapeutic resistance, and molecular heterogeneity are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of tumor progression and treatment response.
At the same time, artificial intelligence, machine learning, multi-omics technologies, and computational drug discovery are creating new opportunities to identify therapeutic targets, discover candidate drugs, and develop more effective cancer treatments.
This special issue aims to bring together innovative experimental, computational, preclinical, and translational research addressing fundamental mechanisms of cancer development and emerging strategies for therapeutic intervention.
Contributions exploring the tumor microenvironment, immune metabolism, tumor evolution, cancer stem cells, molecular biomarkers, therapeutic resistance, precision oncology, and AI-assisted drug discovery are particularly encouraged.
Guest Editors
Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Baskaran Gunasekaran
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Malaysia
Dr. Saema Hanafi
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Malaysia
The special issue welcomes rigorous, innovative contributions that advance understanding of cancer biology and next-generation therapeutic discovery.
All submitted manuscripts will undergo independent editorial evaluation and peer review in accordance with the journal's publication standards.
Submitting to a Special Issue
Authors must prepare and submit their manuscripts through the online submission portal, select the appropriate special issue or conference proceedings collection under the “For the Editors” step, and clearly mention the collection title in their cover letter; for detailed submission requirements, please refer to the Author Guidelines.
No articles have been published in this issue yet. Accepted papers will appear here as a full table of contents, exactly like a regular issue.
About this Special Issue
Aims & scope
This special issue aims to advance the understanding of cancer biology and accelerate the development of innovative anticancer therapies by integrating molecular oncology, tumor immunology, cancer metabolism, biotechnology, and computational sciences.
The collection will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance, with particular emphasis on the composition, spatial organization, and functional interactions of the tumor microenvironment.
Special attention will be given to cancer immunometabolism, including metabolic competition between malignant and immune cells, metabolic reprogramming, immune dysfunction, and mechanisms influencing responses to immunotherapy.
The scope also includes cancer stem cell plasticity, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, epigenetic regulation, noncoding RNAs, tumor-associated microbiomes, molecular biomarkers, and advances in cancer genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.
Another major focus is the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to therapeutic target identification, anticancer drug discovery, drug repurposing, molecular modelling, predictive biomarkers, and personalized treatment strategies.
Studies evaluating natural products, synthetic small molecules, biologics, targeted therapies, nanomedicines, and emerging therapeutic platforms are encouraged, provided they demonstrate sound methodology and biological relevance.
The collection welcomes experimental, computational, preclinical, and translational investigations, along with systematic reviews, critical evidence syntheses, and methodological advances that contribute meaningfully to next-generation cancer research.
Topics of interest
- Tumor Microenvironment Composition and Spatial Organization
- Cancer Cell–Stromal Cell Communication
- Cancer Immunometabolism and Metabolic Reprogramming
- Metabolic Competition Between Tumor and Immune Cells
- Immune Evasion and Cancer Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy Response and Resistance Mechanisms
- Cancer Stem Cells and Cellular Plasticity
- Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis
- Cancer Epigenetics and Noncoding RNAs
- Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Progression
- Tumor-Associated Microbiomes and Host–Microbe Interactions
- Molecular Biomarkers and Liquid Biopsy
- Cancer Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Proteomics
- Cancer Metabolomics and Spatial Omics
- AI and Machine Learning in Anticancer Drug Discovery
- Computational Target Identification and Drug Repurposing
- Natural Products and Small-Molecule Anticancer Agents
- Biologics, Nanomedicine, and Advanced Drug Delivery
- Resistance to Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
- Targeted Therapies and Precision Oncology
- Preclinical and Translational Cancer Research
Manuscript types accepted
- Original Research Article
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Review Article
- Methods Article
- Short Communication