Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Immuno-Oncology: From RNA Biology to Therapeutic Response

Post-transcriptional gene regulation has emerged as a critical determinant of cancer progression, immune surveillance and therapeutic response. Beyond transcriptional control, diverse RNA regulatory mechanisms, including alternative splicing, RNA editing, RNA methylation, alternative polyadenylation, RNA stability, RNA localization and translational regulation, shape the expression of immune-related genes and influence interactions between tumor cells and the immune microenvironment. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and RNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A) coordinate these processes, thereby regulating antigen presentation, cytokine signaling, immune checkpoint expression, T-cell activation, immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapies.Recent advances in RNA biology, single-cell and spatial multi-omics, CRISPR-based functional genomics and artificial intelligence have enabled systematic identification of post-transcriptional regulatory networks that govern anti-tumor immunity. These discoveries are opening new opportunities to develop RNA-based therapeutics, including antisense oligonucleotides, siRNA, CRISPR-mediated RNA editing, mRNA vaccines and small-molecule modulators targeting RNA-binding proteins and RNA modification enzymes. Extracellular vesicle engineering and research on RNA delivery systems expand the therapeutic potential of RNA-based immunomodulation.Potential scopes under this topic- RNA-mediated regulation of anti-tumor immunity: Roles of RBPs, non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in immune cell function and tumor immune escape.- Post-transcriptional control of immunotherapy response: Mechanisms underlying sensitivity and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy, bispecific antibodies and therapeutic cancer vaccines.- RNA-based therapeutics in cancer immunology: Development of mRNA vaccines, RNA interference, antisense oligonucleotides, RNA editing and CRISPR-based approaches.- Extracellular vesicles and RNA-mediated intercellular communication: Roles of extracellular vesicles in mediating the transfer of coding and non-coding RNAs between tumor and immune cells, modulation of the tumor microenvironment, and the mechanisms regulating extracellular vesicle-mediated RNA communication, with discussion of their translational potential and therapeutic delivery strategies.- Multi-omics and AI-driven discovery: Integration of transcriptomics, proteomics, immunopeptidomics and foundation models (e.g., protein and nucleotide language models) to identify novel immunotherapeutic targets and predictive regulatory signatures.- Translational immuno-oncology: Patient-derived organoids, humanized mouse models, and precision medicine approaches for validating RNA-based therapeutic strategies.This topic encompasses basic RNA biology, cancer immunology, computational biology and translational therapeutics, while also highlighting emerging areas such as extracellular vesicle biology, AI-guided RNA target discovery and mRNA vaccine development. As such, it is well-positioned to attract multidisciplinary contributions at the interface of RNA biology and immuno-oncology.We welcome submissions spanning basic, translational and clinical research, including: Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Perspectives, Methods, Technology and Code, Hypothesis and Theory, Brief Research Reports and Data Reports. Contributions addressing mechanistic insights, regulatory RNA signature discovery, preclinical models and early clinical applications are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Federica Calore, Soumasree De Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84114/post-transcriptional-gene-regulation-in-immuno-oncology-from-rna-biology-to-therapeutic-response