Dear Colleagues,

Cancer cells at the center of tumors respond to varied local hypoxic conditions, activating signaling pathways and promoting synthesis and release of chemokines and growth factors (GFs) that transform the local environment. Immune, endothelial, and neuronal, among other cell types, express receptors that respond to these oncogenic signals. In this process, cancer cells with invasive and anchorage-free survival properties could disseminate and establish metastatic tumors. Thus, targeting and understanding the communication between tumor cells and the adjacent vasculature is the basis of novel anti-tumor therapies. More recent studies have identified abrupt cellular signaling pathways as underlying mechanisms for the development of cancer drug resistance. Some key processes involved in drug resistance include tumor heterogeneity, reactivation of drug targets, hyperactivation of alternative pathways, cross-talk with the microenvironment, altered DNA response and its repair, modification in epigenetic pathways, impairment in apoptosis/autophagy and the existence of cancer stem cells. Thus, increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying cancer drug resistance suggests that an integrated approach to cancer therapy is needed for targeting multiple signaling pathways. Recent use of molecularly targeted agents to target multiple signaling pathways remains an important approach in cancer treatment; however, use of these targeted therapies is not without limitations. Further research is needed to identify approaches to repurpose drugs to optimize therapy for particular cancer types.

This Special Issue will focus on cellular targets and their mechanisms for many types of cancers, including cancer therapeutic approaches and targeted drug delivery. We are pleased to invite authors to submit contributions, such as original articles that provide novel findings, or reviews that comprehensively highlight the latest discoveries in the field.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Immune system;
• SNC;
• Antibodies therapies;
• Peripheral tumors;
• Circulating tumors;
• Protein degradation;
• Cell death mechanism;
• Inflammatory pathways.

I/We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Alessia Filippone
Dr. Marika Lanza
Guest Editors

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. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• neurogenesis
• immune evasion
• endogenous tumor targets
• CNS
• neuroinflammation
• protein degradation
• receptors activation
• cancerous cells invasion
• molecular pathways