Classically, anti-cancer therapies have always been applied with the primary aim of tumor debulking achieved through widespread induction of cancer cell death. While the role of host immune system is frequently considered as host protective in various (antigen-bearing) pathologies or infections yet in case of cancer overtime it was proposed that the host immune system either plays no role in therapeutic efficacy or plays a limited role that is therapeutically unemployable. The concept that the immune system is dispensable for the efficacy of anticancer therapies lingered on for a substantial amount of time; not only because evidence supporting the claim that anti-cancer immunity played a role were mainly contradictory, but also largely because it was considered acceptable (and sometimes still is) to test anticancer therapies in immunodeficient mice (i.e. SCID/athymic mice lacking adaptive immune system). This latter practice played a detrimental role in appreciating the role of anticancer immunity in cancer therapy. This scenario is epitomized by the fact that for a long time the very existence of cancer-associated antigens or cancer-associated ‘danger signaling’ remained controversial. However, over last several years this dogmatic view has been considerably modified. The existence of cancer-associated antigens and ‘danger signaling’ has been proven to be incontrovertible. These developments have together paved way for the establishment of the attractive concept of “immunogenic cell death” (ICD). It has been established that a restricted class of chemotherapeutics/targeted therapeutics, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy and certain oncolytic viruses can induce a form of cancer cell death called ICD which is accompanied by spatiotemporally defined emission of danger signals. These danger signals along with other factors help cancer cells undergoing ICD to activate host innate immune cells, which in turn activate T cell-based immunity that helps eradicate live (or residual) surviving cancer cells. The emergence of ICD has been marred by some controversy. ICD has been criticized to be either experimental model or setting-specific or mostly a concept based on rodent studies that may have very limited implications for clinical application. However, in recent times it has emerged (through mainly retrospective or prognostic studies) that ICD can work in various human clinical settings hinting towards clinical applicability of ICD. However a widespread consensus on this issue is still transitional. In the current Research Topic we aimed to organize and intensify a discussion that strives to bring together the academic and clinical research community in order to provide a background to the current state-of-the-art in ICD associated bench-side research and to initiate fruitful discussions on present and future prospects of ICD translating towards the clinical, bedside reality.

Classically, anti-cancer therapies have always been applied with the primary aim of tumor debulking achieved through widespread induction of cancer cell death. While the role of host immune system is frequently considered as host protective in various (antigen-bearing) pathologies or infections yet in case of cancer overtime it was proposed that the host immune system either plays no role in therapeutic efficacy or plays a limited role that is therapeutically unemployable. The concept that the immune system is dispensable for the efficacy of anticancer therapies lingered on for a substantial amount of time; not only because evidence supporting the claim that anti-cancer immunity played a role were mainly contradictory, but also largely because it was considered acceptable (and sometimes still is) to test anticancer therapies in immunodeficient mice (i.e. SCID/athymic mice lacking adaptive immune system). This latter practice played a detrimental role in appreciating the role of anticancer immunity in cancer therapy. This scenario is epitomized by the fact that for a long time the very existence of cancer-associated antigens or cancer-associated 'danger signaling' remained controversial. However, over last several years this dogmatic view has been considerably modified. The existence of cancer-associated antigens and 'danger signaling' has been proven to be incontrovertible. These developments have together paved way for the establishment of the attractive concept of "immunogenic cell death" (ICD). It has been established that a restricted class of chemotherapeutics/targeted therapeutics, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy and certain oncolytic viruses can induce a form of cancer cell death called ICD which is accompanied by spatiotemporally defined emission of danger signals. These danger signals along with other factors help cancer cells undergoing ICD to activate host innate immune cells, which in turn activate T cell-based immunity that helps eradicate live (or residual) surviving cancer cells. The emergence of ICD has been marred by some controversy. ICD has been criticized to be either experimental model or setting-specific or mostly a concept based on rodent studies that may have very limited implications for clinical application. However, in recent times it has emerged (through mainly retrospective or prognostic studies) that ICD can work in various human clinical settings hinting towards clinical applicability of ICD. However a widespread consensus on this issue is still transitional. In the current Research Topic we aimed to organize and intensify a discussion that strives to bring together the academic and clinical research community in order to provide a background to the current state-of-the-art in ICD associated bench-side research and to initiate fruitful discussions on present and future prospects of ICD translating towards the clinical, bedside reality.

This book reviews different aspects of the cancer microenvironment, and its regulation and importance for tumor progression. Methodological advancements and practical applications, in terms of how biomarkers are studied and increasingly included in clinical trials and therapy protocols, are described and discussed. Biomarkers of the Tumor Microenvironment is an educational resource for students and members of the cancer research community as a whole, especially for those using morphology analysis techniques and models focusing on the cross-talk between different cell types in tumors. The textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the microenvironment in various contexts from the perspectives of experienced and accomplished cancer researchers and clinicians.

Cancer Nanotheranostics, Volume 2 continues the discussion of the important work being done in this field of cancer nanotechnology. The contents of these two volumes are explained in detail as follows. In the first volume of Cancer Nanotheranostics, we discuss the role of different nanomaterials for cancer therapy including lipid-based nanomaterials, protein and peptide-based nanomaterials, polymer-based nanomaterials, metal-organic nanomaterials, porphyrin-based nanomaterials, metal-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanomaterials, exosome-based nanomaterials, and nano-antibodies. This important second volume discusses nano-based diagnosis of cancer, nano-oncology for clinical applications, nano-immunotherapy, nano-based photothermal cancer therapy, nanoerythrosomes for cancer drug delivery, regulatory perspectives of nanomaterials, limitations of cancer nanotheranostics, safety of nanobiomaterials for cancer nanotheranostics, multifunctional nanomaterials for targeting cancer nanotheranostics, and the role of artificial intelligence in cancer nanotheranostics. Volume 2 is a vital continuation of this two-volume set. Together, these two volumes create a comprehensive and unique examination of this important area of research.

Antibody-based therapeutics are a central driver of the success of biopharmaceuticals. The discovery technology of this field is isolated to a limited number of centers of excellence in industry and academia. The objective of this volume is to provide a series of guides to those evaluating and preparing to enter particular areas within the field. Each chapter is written with a historical perspective that sets into context the significance of the key developments, and with the provision of “points to consider” for the reader as a value-added feature of the volume. All contributors are experts in their fields and have played pivotal roles in the creation of the technology.

Dendrimers, hyperbranched macromolecules, emerged just few decades ago but show promising potential as drug delivery nanocarriers, theranostic agents and gene vectors; in the pharmaceutical research and innovation area as well as in other healthcare applications. Although tremendous advancements have been made in dendrimer chemistry and their applications since their emergence, the synthesis, development and design of pure and safe dendrimer-based products have been a major challenge in this area. This book, edited by well-known researchers in the area of nanomaterials and drug-based drug delivery applications, exhaustively covers the nanotechnological aspects, concepts, properties, characterisation, application, biofate and regulatory aspects of dendrimers. It includes sixteen vivid chapters by renowned formulators, researchers and academicians from all over the world, highlighting their specialised areas of interest in the fields of chemistry, biology, pharmacy and nanomedicine. Features: • Highlights dendrimers’ advancements in nanomedicine in the development of safe healthcare and biotechnological products • Covers physicochemical aspects, biofate, drug delivery aspects and gene therapy using dendrimers • Covers biomedical application of dendrimers in the field of biological sciences • Gives examples of dendrimer–guest interaction chemistry Dendrimers in Nanomedicine: Concept, Theory and Regulatory Perspectives provides the comprehensive overview of the latest research efforts in designing, optimising, development and scale-up of dendrimer-mediated delivery systems. It analyses the key challenges of synthesis, design, molecular modelling, fundamental concepts, drug delivery aspects, analytical tools and biological fate as well as regulatory consideration to the practical use of dendrimer application. Dr. Neelesh Kumar Mehra Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India. He has authored more than sixty peer-reviewed publications in highly reputed international journals, as well as book chapters and contributions on two patents. Dr. Mehra has 11 years of rich research and teaching experience in the formulation and development of complex, innovative biopharmaceutical products including micro- and nanotechnologies for regulated markets. Dr. Keerti Jain Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics in the Department of Pharmaceutics, NIPER, Raebareli, India. For more than 10 years, she has been actively engaged in formulation and development of nanomedicines. Dr. Jain has supervised masters and doctoral pharmaceutics students in their research works which have been published in high quality, good impact factor journals. She has also authored more than 60 international manuscripts in peer reviewed high impact journals. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious ICMR-Amir Shakuntala Award.

This book systematically reviews the most important findings on cancer immune checkpoints, sharing essential insights into this rapidly evolving yet largely unexplored research topic. The past decade has seen major advances in cancer immune checkpoint therapy, which has demonstrated impressive clinical benefits. The family of checkpoints for mediating cancer immune evasion now includes CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1, CD27/CD70, FGL-1/LAG-3, Siglec-15, VISTA (PD-1L)/VSIG3, CD47/SIRPA, APOE/LILRB4, TIGIT, and many others. Despite these strides, most patients do not show lasting remission, and some cancers have been completely resistant to the therapy. The potentially lethal adverse effects of checkpoint blockade represent another major challenge, the mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Compared to the cancer signaling pathways, such as p53 and Ras, mechanistic studies on immune checkpoint pathways are still in their infancy. To improve the responses to checkpoint blockade therapy and limit the adverse effects, it is essential to understand the molecular regulation of checkpoint molecules in both malignant and healthy cells/tissues. This book begins with an introduction to immune checkpoint therapy and its challenges, and subsequently describes the regulation of checkpoints at different levels. In closing, it discusses recent therapeutic developments based on mechanistic findings, and outlines goals for future translational studies. The book offers a valuable resource for researchers in the cancer immunotherapy field, helping to form a roadmap for checkpoint regulation and develop safer and more effective immunotherapies.