Dear Colleagues,

Molecular cancer biology is a subfield of cancer research that focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of cancer. Some of the key problems that need to be addressed in molecular cancer biology include:

• Identifying the genetic and epigenetic alterations that drive cancer: Cancer is driven by genetic and epigenetic changes that lead to altered gene expression and cellular behavior. Identifying these alterations and understanding how they contribute to cancer development and progression is a critical problem in molecular cancer biology.

• Understanding the interplay between different signaling pathways: Cancer cells often dysregulated multiple signaling pathways, and understanding the complex interactions between these pathways is essential for developing effective therapies. Improving our understanding of how different signaling pathways are activated and regulated in cancer cells is a key challenge in molecular cancer biology.

• Improving our understanding of tumor heterogeneity: Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and different cells within a tumor can have distinct molecular characteristics and behaviors. Understanding how tumor heterogeneity contributes to cancer progression and resistance to therapy is a critical problem in molecular cancer biology.

• Developing new tools and technologies for studying cancer: Advances in technologies such as genomics, proteomics, and imaging are providing new opportunities for studying cancer at the molecular level. However, developing new tools and technologies that can provide deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer is an ongoing challenge.

• Understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment: The tumor microenvironment, which includes factors such as immune cells, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix, plays a critical role in cancer development and progression. Understanding how the tumor microenvironment influences cancer cell behavior and developing strategies to target it is a key problem in molecular cancer biology.

Overall, addressing these challenges will require continued innovation and collaboration across disciplines, as well as a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development and progression.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Lingdi Yin
Prof. Dr. Sneha S Pillai
Prof. Dr. Murtaza Ali
Prof. Dr. Arnaud John KOMBE KOMBE
Prof. Dr. Swetha Rajasekaran

Section Editors