Myeloid cell heterogeneity and predictive biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy

Myeloid cells comprise a highly heterogeneous population with diverse roles in cancer immunity. While some subsets, such as inflammatory monocytes and dendritic cells, promote antitumor immune responses through antigen presentation and T-cell activation, others, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), contribute to immunosuppression and tumor progression. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial profiling technologies have revealed remarkable heterogeneity among myeloid cell populations within tumors, lymphoid tissues, and peripheral blood. Accumulating evidence suggests that the abundance, phenotype, spatial distribution, and functional states of specific myeloid cell subsets may serve as valuable biomarkers for predicting prognosis and responses to cancer immunotherapy. This Research Topic aims to highlight the potential of diverse myeloid cell populations as predictive and prognostic biomarkers and to advance our understanding of their clinical relevance in cancer immunotherapy.Although PD-L1 expression in tumor tissues is widely used as a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, its predictive accuracy remains suboptimal, highlighting the need for more reliable biomarkers. As illustrated by the Cancer-Immunity Cycle, antitumor immune responses are orchestrated not only within the tumor microenvironment but also in tumor-draining lymph nodes, where immune priming and activation occur. Recent advances in single-cell, spatial, and multi-omics technologies have revealed substantial heterogeneity among myeloid cell populations across tumors and lymphoid tissues. Emerging evidence suggests that specific myeloid cell subsets may serve as predictive and prognostic biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy. This Research Topic aims to explore the biomarker potential of myeloid cells in both tumor tissues and tumor-draining lymph nodes. We welcome studies across diverse cancer types to better understand how myeloid cell heterogeneity influences therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes.This Research Topic focuses on the potential of myeloid cell heterogeneity as predictive and prognostic biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:• Myeloid cell subsets associated with response or resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors• Tumor-associated macrophages, dendritic cells, monocytes, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer immunity• Myeloid cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes and their clinical significance• Single-cell, spatial, and multi-omics analyses of myeloid cell heterogeneity• Comparative studies across different cancer types• Translational and clinical validation of myeloid cell-based biomarkersStudies utilizing both preclinical and clinical datasets are encouraged. We also welcome negative, neutral, or cancer type-specific findings, as these studies are essential for defining the clinical utility and limitations of myeloid cell-based biomarkers.Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic. Topic editors: Masahiro Ohgidani, Takayuki Okuri Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82353/myeloid-cell-heterogeneity-and-predictive-biomarkers-in-cancer-immunotherapy