Cancer Cell International is calling for submissions to our Collection on Human Cancer Proteoforms.

As of the first week of May 2024, according to the data from the UniProt Knowledgebase, the human proteome has a record of 20,434 canonical as well as 22,080 non-canonical protein isoforms. Over the years, with the advancement of proteomic and sequencing technologies, more and more novel proteoforms are characterized and studied. In addition, the discovery of protein-encoding lncRNAs and circRNAs has also contributed to the ever-increasing number of human proteoforms, in which all these should be taken into consideration for their underlying biological/physiological significance and how aberrant proteoform expressions might contribute to various diseases including cancer.

In this collection, we welcome Original Research and Review articles focusing on human cancer proteoform research. The themes that we wish to include, but are not limited to, are the following:

- Novel functions of cancer-specific human proteoforms

- Global/systematic analysis of human cancer proteoforms

- Cancer-specific proteoforms as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets

- The development of novel strategies to modulate proteoforms function in cancer therapy.

All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details here). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief.

Survival of the fittest! Sadly this also applies to cancer cells. In the early phase of cancer, (epi)genetic mutations in initiated cells may be selected for their ability to exploit cell competition to eliminate neighboring less competent cells, thereby facilitating tumor expansion.

These tumor cells' competitive skills include but are not limited to the ability to live under hypoxia and acidic microenvironment, clonal expansion of cancer stem cells that contributes to tumor heterogeneity, as well as evading host immune cell surveillance. Interestingly, it has been recently shown that cell competition can also occur in later phases of cancer.

More importantly, cancer risk factors (such as unhealthy diet and chronic inflammation) could also produce variations of niche supplying the tumor and might dictate the outcome of cell competition in tumorigenesis.

It is anticipated that strategies pinpointing competitive cell interactions in various phases and microenvironments of cancers might help to suppress cancer initiation, expansion, and progression. In this collection, we welcome original articles focusing on tumor cell competition research.