Tumor development is a complex evolutionary process driven by the adaptation of the surviving tumor cells to their ever-changing micro- and macro-environmental conditions such as hypoxia, selection pressure of the immune system, and various therapeutic interventions. This adaptation highly relies on the complex communication network between the tumor cells and the non-malignant cells and utilizes various communication pathways, including direct cell-cell contacts, soluble factors, extracellular vesicles (EVs), and even cell shape modifications for signaling specific behaviors. As an example, several studies have described the potential of tumor-derived vesicles for the re-education of healthy stromal cells to work for the tumor's benefit, which may be utilized as a therapeutic opportunity for targeting tumorous communication. Other papers emphasize the importance of morphological features for supporting or contrasting tumor growth. While these are a few examples, understanding the specific mechanisms, and the global role of cell-cell communications and behaviors in tumor diseases may provide clinical benefits not just in tumor diagnosis, but in prevention and therapy as well.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that improve our understanding of the role of cell-cell communications and behaviors in tumor diseases.

Potential areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:
● The EV-mediated communication in the tumor stroma.
● The potential use of tumor-derived factors in tumor diagnosis, prognosis, or therapy.
● Therapy-induced effects on the tumor's communication network.
● Molecular mechanisms of cell-cell communication in tumor diseases.
● Cellular shape modeling for signaling specific behaviors.
● Biochemical aspect of cancer-stromal interactions.
● Morphological feature modifications for supporting/contrasting tumor growth.

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Mohamed Kishta who has acted as coordinator and has contributed to the preparation of the proposal for this article collection.

Even though abstract submission is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit an abstract before submitting their manuscript. Abstracts do not have to coincide with the final abstract of the manuscripts. For authors, please review the journal's information regarding Author Guidelines and Article Processing Charges, or direct any questions to the Editorial Office: por@por-journal.com.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: tumor behavior, extracellular vesicles, cell-cell communication, tumor morphology, tumor stroma