Immune programming for cancer therapy: Mechanisms and translational advances

The field of cancer immunology has undergone significant transformation over the past decade, reshaping our understanding of tumor–immune system interactions. While notable successes have been achieved with checkpoint inhibitors and engineered cell therapies, a substantial proportion of cancers remain refractory due to complex immune evasion tactics and hostile tumor microenvironments. Current research is uncovering the intricate balance required between innate and adaptive immune responses to achieve lasting antitumor effects. Breakthroughs in mRNA delivery, synthetic vaccines, and programmable immune modulators have both clarified previously elusive mechanisms of immune priming and opened new avenues to manipulate immunity within tumor niches. However, ongoing challenges include poor immune cell infiltration, transient immune activation, and variability in patient responses. Gaps remain in our mechanistic understanding of how to optimally rewire immune networks to overcome these barriers, making this an area ripe for innovation and discovery.This Research Topic aims to showcase pioneering insights into the immune programming strategies that drive robust tumor control. Central objectives include elucidating how immune cell activation, polarization, and spatial targeting can be effectively harnessed or redirected to induce durable anticancer immunity. Key questions involve identifying the mechanisms that enable immune reprogramming in vivo, uncovering approaches for specific tissue or tumor-site targeting, and integrating innate and adaptive immune intervention for lasting therapeutic benefit. Both basic mechanistic studies and translational research that directly informs clinical immunotherapy development are encouraged, with an emphasis on work that addresses immune evasion, memory formation, or adaptive resistance.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses mechanistic and translational approaches focused on the reprogramming of innate and adaptive immunity for cancer treatment. Studies must contribute to our understanding of how immune interventions can be tailored or combined for enhanced efficacy, with clear implications for next-generation immunotherapies. To gather further insights in these areas, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:-NK cell modulation and enhancement in cancer therapy-Macrophage and neutrophil polarization within the tumor microenvironment-Integration of innate immune rewiring with adaptive antigen-specific targeting-Advanced vaccine platforms and delivery modalities, including mRNA-based vaccines-Immune interventions targeting organ-specific or metastatic tumor sites-Strategies for inducing immune memory and overcoming immune escape in cancerThis Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, perspectives, and methodological advances that provide fundamental or translational insights into immune mechanisms and cancer immunotherapy. The topic editors declare no conflict of interest Topic editors: Sarita Rani, Avinash Gothwal, Shubham Srivastava, Hitesh Kumar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79114/immune-programming-for-cancer-therapy-mechanisms-and-translational-advances