{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T08:23:13Z","timestamp":1787732593065,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787702400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Science Center, Poland","award":["2023\/50\/E\/NZ5\/00507"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023\/50\/E\/NZ5\/00507"]}]},{"award":["2023\/50\/E\/NZ5\/00507"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023\/50\/E\/NZ5\/00507"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03ha2q922","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int. J. Mol. Sci.","IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Malignant transformation is largely driven by the accumulation of genetic mutations that confer proliferative advantages, evade various cell death mechanisms, and sustain cell viability under adverse conditions [...]<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27177628","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T08:11:15Z","timestamp":1787731875000},"page":"7628","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Special Issue \u201cEpigenetic Genes, Biomarkers and Immunotherapy in Cancers\u201d"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0357-9284","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Urszula","family":"Oleksiewicz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka Street 8, 60-806 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"646","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2011.02.013","article-title":"Hallmarks of Cancer: The Next Generation","volume":"144","author":"Hanahan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"eaal2380","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aal2380","article-title":"Epigenetic Plasticity and the Hallmarks of Cancer","volume":"357","author":"Flavahan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Machnik, M., and Oleksiewicz, U. (2020). Dynamic Signatures of the Epigenome: Friend or Foe?. Cells, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/cells9030653"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1038\/s41568-024-00757-9","article-title":"Epigenomic Heterogeneity as a Source of Tumour Evolution","volume":"25","author":"Lupien","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1016\/j.semcancer.2020.12.014","article-title":"Causes, Effects, and Clinical Implications of Perturbed Patterns within the Cancer Epigenome","volume":"83","author":"Oleksiewicz","year":"2022","journal-title":"Semin. Cancer Biol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-8935-7-29","article-title":"A Global Assessment of Cancer Genomic Alterations in Epigenetic Mechanisms","volume":"7","author":"Shah","year":"2014","journal-title":"Epigenet. Chromatin"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1928","DOI":"10.1038\/s12276-025-01537-7","article-title":"The Emerging Intertwined Activities of Metabolism and Epigenetics Unveils Culprits and Prospects in Cancer","volume":"57","author":"Verma","year":"2025","journal-title":"Exp. Mol. Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1326","DOI":"10.1101\/gad.191056.112","article-title":"Inhibition of \u03b1-KG-Dependent Histone and DNA Demethylases by Fumarate and Succinate That Are Accumulated in Mutations of FH and SDH Tumor Suppressors","volume":"26","author":"Xiao","year":"2012","journal-title":"Genes Dev."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"a019505","DOI":"10.1101\/cshperspect.a019505","article-title":"Epigenetic Determinants of Cancer","volume":"8","author":"Baylin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Biol."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"187","article-title":"Immunosurveillance in Clinical Cancer Management","volume":"74","author":"Kroemer","year":"2024","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. Clin."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8131","DOI":"10.1007\/s00432-023-04737-8","article-title":"Cancer Immune Escape: The Role of Antigen Presentation Machinery","volume":"149","author":"Kallingal","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Cancer Res. Clin. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lee, J., and Kim, E.H. (2023). Mechanisms Underlying Response and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front. Oncol., 13.","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2023.1233376"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1186\/s43556-025-00373-5","article-title":"Epigenetic Drugs in Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms, Immune Modulation, and Therapeutic Applications","volume":"6","author":"Ma","year":"2025","journal-title":"Mol. Biomed."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"933","DOI":"10.1158\/2159-8290.CD-20-1808","article-title":"Therapeutic Targeting of the Tumor Microenvironment","volume":"11","author":"Bejarano","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cancer Discov."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"German\u00e0, E., Pepe, L., Pizzimenti, C., Ballato, M., Pierconti, F., Tuccari, G., Ieni, A., Giuffr\u00e8, G., Fadda, G., and Fiorentino, V. (2024). Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Immunohistochemical Expression in Advanced Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma: An Updated Review with Clinical and Pathological Implications. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25126750"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Poniewierska-Baran, A., Sobolak, K., Nied\u017awiedzka-Rystwej, P., Plewa, P., and Pawlik, A. (2024). Immunotherapy Based on Immune Checkpoint Molecules and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gastric Cancer\u2013Narrative Review. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25126471"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Santourlidis, S., Ara\u00fazo-Bravo, M.J., Brodell, R.T., Hassan, M., and Bendhack, M.L. (2024). hTERT Epigenetics Provides New Perspectives for Diagnosis and Evidence-Based Guidance of Chemotherapy in Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25137331"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"W\u0142odarczyk, K., Kury\u0142o, W., Paw\u0142owska-\u0141achut, A., Skiba, W., Suszczyk, D., Pieni\u0105dz, P., Majewska, M., Boniewska-Bernacka, E., and Wertel, I. (2024). circRNAs in Endometrial Cancer\u2014A Promising Biomarker: State of the Art. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25126387"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Maciejewski, K., Giers, M., Oleksiewicz, U., and Czerwinska, P. (2024). The Epigenetic Modifiers HDAC2 and HDAC7 Inversely Associate with Cancer Stemness and Immunity in Solid Tumors. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25147841"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Stakhovskyi, O., Kobyliak, N., Voylenko, O., Stakhovskyi, E., Ponomarchuk, R., and Sulaieva, O. (2022). Immune Microenvironment of Muscular-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: The Link to Tumor Immune Cycle and Prognosis. Cells, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/cells11111802"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2102","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2034442","article-title":"Adjuvant Nivolumab versus Placebo in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma","volume":"384","author":"Bajorin","year":"2021","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annonc.2022.11.012","article-title":"Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: Results from KEYNOTE-045 and KEYNOTE-052 after up to 5 Years of Follow-Up","volume":"34","author":"Balar","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1159\/000510812","article-title":"Understanding PD-L1 Testing in Breast Cancer: A Practical Approach","volume":"15","author":"Erber","year":"2020","journal-title":"Breast Care"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e001246","DOI":"10.1136\/jitc-2020-001246","article-title":"Avelumab as Second-Line Therapy for Metastatic, Platinum-Treated Urothelial Carcinoma in the Phase Ib JAVELIN Solid Tumor Study: 2-Year Updated Efficacy and Safety Analysis","volume":"8","author":"Apolo","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Immunother. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1483","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(17)30616-2","article-title":"First-Line Pembrolizumab in Cisplatin-Ineligible Patients with Locally Advanced and Unresectable or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (KEYNOTE-052): A Multicentre, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Study","volume":"18","author":"Balar","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101925","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctrv.2019.101925","article-title":"The Evolving Role of PD-L1 Testing in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma","volume":"82","author":"Powles","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cancer Treat. Rev."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1097\/COC.0000000000000239","article-title":"CTLA-4 and PD-1 Pathways: Similarities, Differences, and Implications of Their Inhibition","volume":"39","author":"Buchbinder","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1136\/jclinpath-2017-204853","article-title":"PD-L1","volume":"71","author":"Kythreotou","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Clin. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1186\/s12943-019-1091-2","article-title":"Novel Immune Checkpoint Targets: Moving beyond PD-1 and CTLA-4","volume":"18","author":"Qin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mol. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"765","DOI":"10.1002\/eji.201646875","article-title":"Immune Checkpoints and Their Inhibition in Cancer and Infectious Diseases","volume":"47","author":"Dyck","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur. J. Immunol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1159\/000531457","article-title":"Efficacy of PD-1 Inhibitors in First-Line Treatment for Advanced Gastroesophageal Junction and Gastric Cancer by Subgroups: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"68","author":"Fei","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chemotherapy"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"727","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-021-04161-3","article-title":"The KEYNOTE-811 Trial of Dual PD-1 and HER2 Blockade in HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer","volume":"600","author":"Janjigian","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1002\/cac2.12516","article-title":"The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO): Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastric Cancer, 2023","volume":"44","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cancer Commun."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1200\/GO.20.00033","article-title":"Overview of Breast Cancer and Implications of Overtreatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer: An Indian Perspective","volume":"6","author":"Bhattacharyya","year":"2020","journal-title":"JCO Glob. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"124","article-title":"The Role of Cell-Free Circulating DNA in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer","volume":"29","author":"Ellinger","year":"2011","journal-title":"Urol. Oncol. Semin. Orig. Investig."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1038\/ng.3781","article-title":"Systematic Analysis of Telomere Length and Somatic Alterations in 31 Cancer Types","volume":"49","author":"Barthel","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Genet."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI121303","article-title":"DNA Hypermethylation within TERT Promoter Upregulates TERT Expression in Cancer","volume":"129","author":"Lee","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Clin. Investig."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2358","DOI":"10.1002\/1878-0261.12786","article-title":"Allele-Specific Proximal Promoter Hypomethylation of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene (TERT) Associates with TERT Expression in Multiple Cancers","volume":"14","author":"Rowland","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mol. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Malhotra, S., Freeberg, M.A., Winans, S.J., Taylor, J., and Beemon, K.L. (2018). A Novel Long Non-Coding RNA in the hTERT Promoter Region Regulates hTERT Expression. Non-Coding RNA, 4.","DOI":"10.3390\/ncrna4010001"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ott, P., Ara\u00fazo-Bravo, M.J., Hoffmann, M.J., Poyet, C., Bendhack, M.L., Santourlidis, S., and Erichsen, L. (2022). Differential DNA Methylation of THOR and hTAPAS in the Regulation of hTERT and the Diagnosis of Cancer. Cancers, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers14184384"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.2217\/epi-2019-0295","article-title":"Circular RNA: Biogenesis, Degradation, Functions and Potential Roles in Mediating Resistance to Anticarcinogens","volume":"12","author":"Geng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Epigenomics"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1186\/s13046-023-02657-6","article-title":"Understanding the Roles and Regulation Patterns of circRNA on Its Host Gene in Tumorigenesis and Tumor Progression","volume":"42","author":"Wei","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Exp. Clin. Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1229","DOI":"10.1080\/15384101.2019.1617004","article-title":"Hsa_circ_0002577 Promotes Endometrial Carcinoma Progression via Regulating miR-197\/CTNND1 Axis and Activating Wnt\/\u03b2-Catenin Pathway","volume":"18","author":"Shen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cell Cycle"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1221","DOI":"10.1038\/s41417-024-00781-9","article-title":"IGF2BP2-Modified Circular RNA circCHD7 Promotes Endometrial Cancer Progression via Stabilizing PDGFRB and Activating JAK\/STAT Signaling Pathway","volume":"31","author":"Shi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cancer Gene Ther."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1038\/nsmb.2959","article-title":"Exon-Intron Circular RNAs Regulate Transcription in the Nucleus","volume":"22","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1186\/s12943-021-01398-4","article-title":"N6-Methyladenosine-Modified circIGF2BP3 Inhibits CD8+ T-Cell Responses to Facilitate Tumor Immune Evasion by Promoting the Deubiquitination of PD-L1 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer","volume":"20","author":"Liu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mol. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"216219","DOI":"10.1016\/j.canlet.2023.216219","article-title":"CircRNAs in Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy: Perspectives from Innate and Adaptive Immunity","volume":"564","author":"Yu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cancer Lett."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Milazzo, G., Mercatelli, D., Di Muzio, G., Triboli, L., De Rosa, P., Perini, G., and Giorgi, F.M. (2020). Histone Deacetylases (HDACs): Evolution, Specificity, Role in Transcriptional Complexes, and Pharmacological Actionability. Genes, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/genes11050556"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"a018713","DOI":"10.1101\/cshperspect.a018713","article-title":"Erasers of Histone Acetylation: The Histone Deacetylase Enzymes","volume":"6","author":"Seto","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Biol."},{"key":"ref_50","first-page":"68","article-title":"ReviewThe Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA): An Immeasurable Source of Knowledge","volume":"2015","author":"Tomczak","year":"2015","journal-title":"Contemp. Oncol."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Molecular Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/27\/17\/7628\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T08:13:51Z","timestamp":1787732031000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/27\/17\/7628"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"references-count":50,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ijms27177628"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms27177628","relation":{},"ISSN":["1422-0067"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1422-0067","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]}}}