Orchestration of cancer stem cell plasticity: signaling pathways, transcriptional regulation and epigenetic reprogramming

Cancer cell adapt to therapy by rewiring their regulatory networks and communicating with surrounding cells. This research topic will focus on microRNA-centered circuits that control cancer cell plasticity across solid tumors (such triple negative breast cancer, gynecologic malignancies, colorectal cancer, lung cancer) and hematologic malignancies. The goal is to define cell intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of therapy resistance and translate these insights into biomarkers and rational combinatorial strategies in cancer cell biology. We would aim to gather original research and reviews that explore:- the main intrinsic and extrinsic regulatory factors of the cancer stem cells plasticity, how the epithelial-mesenchymal transition can be regulated through specific signaling pathways, epigenetic alterations (e.g. BRCA/FA pathway defects), tumor-and exosome-derived microRNA's and non-coding RNA's; - how chemotherapy and targeted agents shape gene expression programs and microRNA's associated with therapy resistance, relapse and metastasis; - the use of nanoparticle delivery systems and CRISPR/Cas9 or other gene editing tools to probe and modulate these regulatory pathways for more precise cancer cell targeting.- single-cell and spatial omics approaches to cancer stem cell heterogeneity, including scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics strategies to map plastic cancer cell states, lineage trajectories, and therapy-adaptive populations;- biomarker discovery for plasticity-driven disease progression, including circulating and exosome-derived microRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and other molecular signatures associated with minimal residual disease, relapse, metastasis, and treatment response;- tumor microenvironmental and immune niche regulation of cancer stem cell states, including stromal, inflammatory, metabolic, and hypoxic signals that shape stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, immune evasion, and therapeutic escape. Topic editors: Laura Ancuta Pop, Eva Fischer-Fodor Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79158/orchestration-of-cancer-stem-cell-plasticity-signaling-pathways-transcriptional-regulation-and-epigenetic-reprogramming