Tumor Microenvironment, Immune Evasion, and Combination Immunotherapies in Gastric and Esophageal Cancers

Gastric and esophageal cancers rank among the deadliest cancers Worldwide, due to their biological complexity, late diagnosis, and limited response to therapies. In recent years, the tumor microenvironment has become a critical factor in tumor progression, metastatic behavior, and therapeutic resistance in these cancers. Fundamental components, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolic reprogramming, immune cell infiltrates and interactions between stromal and immune cells, play vital roles in determining disease evolution and influencing patient outcomes.A deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind immune evasion, including dysfunctional antigen presentation, T-cell exhaustion, immunosuppressive cytokine networks, and the recruitment of regulatory cell subsets, is crucial for developing long lasting effective immunotherapeutic strategies. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted immunotherapies have shown potential, their clinical benefits are sometimes confined to a relatively small number of patients. This constraint has urged interest in combination approaches that integrate immunotherapy with other therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, metabolic modulation, or tumor microenvironment directed interventions.By integrating multidisciplinary perspectives, this Research Topic pursues to advance our understanding of tumor microenvironment driven oncogenesis and support the development of more effective, durable, and personalized immunotherapeutic approaches for patients with gastric and esophageal cancers.This Research Topic seeks to collect cutting-edge research and systematic reviews and systematic reviews with metanalyses, addressing key challenges and emerging opportunities in the field. We welcome contributions that investigate:• Molecular and cellular mechanisms governing the gastric and esophageal tumor microenvironment;• Interactions between tumor metabolism, stromal components, and immune regulation;• Pathways and strategies of immune escape in upper gastrointestinal cancers;• Biomarkers that predict immune responsiveness or resistance;• Innovations in combination of immunotherapies (both preclinical and clinical);• Novel therapeutic targets arising from tumor microenvironment biology.Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal. Topic editors: Fernando Mendes, Apostolos Gaitanidis, Rui Caetano Oliveira, Diana Martins, Paulo Rodrigues-Santos Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76671/tumor-microenvironment-immune-evasion-and-combination-immunotherapies-in-gastric-and-esophageal-cancers